Rhapsody Trash
by Shio-chan27
Summary: He was getting tired of living by everyone's wishes, he was tired of going by other people's rules. He turned to a person who bad mouthed him and fell in love with him and his world. Yaoi, major drug use ItaDei, SasuNaru, NejiNaru HIATUS
1. The Golden Bartender

I REALLY hate my brain right now. I know I'm supposed to be proud of all the stories I post but I'm trying not to think of more story ideas. Sadly my mind won't agree with me and it made me produce this rather romantic yet dark, angsty fic that displays that love can truly make you or utterly break you. The title actually has its own definition I created and will be mentioned later in the story but for right now let's just take it step by step starting with the first chapter.

Guide

"..." - talking

_'...' - _thoughts

'...' - song titles (you'll be able to recognize them in the story)

_italics_ - song lyrics

Pairings

Main: ItaDei

Other pairings: SasuNaru, SasoDei (onesided, sorry all you SasoDei fans but for this story it has to be onesided)

Ages

Itachi - 21

Deidara - 18-19

Sasori - 22

Sasuke - 16-17

Naruto - 15-16

OCD - For anyone who doesn't know what this is it stands for Obsessive-compulsive disorder which is a serious condition dealing with the mind causing a series of psychological thoughts and causing the subject of the disorder to take part in tasks or "rituals" to reduce the thoughts or stress they have from the thoughts.

That's pretty much it so without further or do here's the chapter.

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**Rhapsody Trash**

_Chapter One: The Golden Bartender_

He would never want to get caught in such a place. He would commit solid suicide before he would allow his photo to be plastered on a magazine cover for all to see. Uchiha Itachi felt no guilt when he felt arms snake around his slime neck. He felt no reason why he should be guilty. The two women on each side of him meant nothing but stress relief. Being married off at sixteen was his entrance into the world of chaos. To be married to a Haruno made him a prisoner. To free himself from that ominous cage he filed for divorce against his father's wishes.

Now here he was in a strip club trying to relax while two women felt him up. Groups of people mingled and flailed their bodies around as a vivid crimson haze covered them all in the onyx filled building. Itachi was forced to turn his cell phone off due to the oncoming calls from his "wife", Haruno Shimeta, and his father, Uchiha Fugaku. The two beings drove him to be in the place. Itachi wasn't going to claim that being there was his fault; he refused. The only real guilt he felt when it came to switching off his phone was because of his younger brother, Sasuke.

Itachi's relationship with Sasuke was a mixture of family love and ongoing rage with a dash of kindness and a sprinkle of indifference. The duo had their share of fights and arguments but in the long run they appreciated one another. Itachi still didn't accept the fact that Sasuke is forced to conceal his natural onyx eyes with different colored contacts. There was no clear purpose behind the issue nor did he think there was an actual reason at all.

Itachi knew Sasuke called exactly seven times within a range of exactly seven minutes each. Both, the calls and the time range, were factors of his OCD and Itachi has been trying his hardest to rid of the disorder. Sasuke had the constant tendency to do everything seven times including eating, going to the bathroom, exercising, and sitting on the couch. To just sit and stand seven times before actually sitting down permanently on the couch was just plain odd. Itachi was able to stop him from eating and going to the bathroom seven times a day. For all of the remaining items, he was still working on that. As for the time range between activities the symptom was extremely rare; it commonly happened when it came to calling someone if the person doesn't answer. Besides that the time range never really applied to the young Uchiha.

'But It's Better If You Do' filled the atmosphere capturing everyone's bodies making them move to the unique beat. Itachi had his short time of being naïve. For a split second from when he entered the building he believed there was at least an ounce of love in a lap dance. After remembering that it was a slim woman committing the action just to retrieve money that is placed in her lingerie by the receiver it drew him back to his previous thought: just plain stress relief. He did receive a lap dance; it cleared some stress and brought entertainment but it wasn't proud of accepting it.

Entering the second verse of the illustrious, creative song Itachi could feel two pairs of lips kissing up and caressing his perfected alabaster skin on his neck causing him to release a subtle sigh of pure relief. He could feel the stress deteriorating from his body. Fingertips traveled down the back of his neck and trailed the inside of his denim covered thighs. Itachi tilted his head back a bit when he felt the girl to his right licking up his neck. He didn't have to enjoy this in order to feel at ease. Hearing constant yelling being created with an equally annoying voice isn't something easy to handle. The Uchiha was a bit surprised that he didn't just lock Shimeta out of the affluent estate. Sure there was a spare key but he knew she had no clear idea of where it was. Locking her out would've been simple. Instead he took the initiative of trekking from the estate while he was drowned in a pool of annoyance and arrived in a strip club. Life was weird that way.

The popular song shifted into its oddly melodic chorus and Itachi drank the last of his Budweiser as the two girls clung to him and began abusing his neck creating hickeys and bites. After allowing the action to take place for five minutes he rose from the onyx leather couch and walked away heading to the bar as the bridge played.

Arriving at the bar Itachi placed the empty beer bottle on the sleek, marble, ebony counter. When he looked up he saw a bartender with soft, vivid blue eyes and golden blonde hair. The male placed down the glass he was polishing and took a swill of vodka from a Smirnoff bottle before looking at Itachi.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Drinking on the job?"

The blonde produced a glare, "I don't tell you how to live your life Mr. Uchiha"

Itachi gave him a glare, "If you know what's good for you then you'll keep your mouth shut," he slid the empty bottle to the bartender, "Besides, I filed for the divorce three days earlier and I'm telling her when I return home"

The blonde bartender smirked as he retrieved the bottle, "Poor girl to have such an unfaithful husband who would rather get felt up by two whores on a couch than be at home cuddling her, un"

"Shut up and just give me my damn beer"

The blonde snickered keeping his smirk as he pulled out a fresh Budweiser, "I'll give it to you, un"

"Give me the damn beer"

"Say please, un"

"The annoyance began to enter Itachi, "Hand over my fucking beer you ditz"

"The blonde laughed a bit, "YOUR beer? It's not in your possession nor did you pay for it so, as of right now, it's MY beer, un"

"Deidara, what are you doing?" the question derived from a male with brown hair and was wearing gold contacts

The blonde pouted a little, "Aw…Akira you ruined my fun, un"

Akira sighed taking the Budweiser and gave it to Itachi, "I'm sorry sir, you'll have to excuse Deidara; he can be a bit ignorant at times"

Deidara took a swig of vodka, "I'm not ignorant, un! I just like to express my thoughts freely"

Itachi rolled his eyes and placed three dollars on the counter, "Whatever, he can kiss my ass"

"I don't think I want to; I might fall ill, un"

Akira took the money, "Thank you sir"

As Itachi walked away he could hear Akira scolding Deidara which placed a smirk on his face. Reaching his destination he sat down and the two females clung to him once more as the final lyrics rang out.

_I'm exactly where you like me you know_

_Praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety_

_Praying for love and paying in naivety_

_Praying for love and paying naivety, oh_

Itachi knows there is no love in a lap dance; just plain pleasure and entertainment.

* * *

Is it bad? Is it good? Tell me what you think; you're opinion matters. Inspiration song, as you saw, was But It's Better If You Do by Panic! at the Disco.

Next: Itachi's life on a daily basis

Later: Deidara's life on a daily basis


	2. Rules and Wishes

Woot! I got positive feedback, awesome. Well let's continue on shall we? In the previous chapter you have discovered, in brief content, that Itachi has a messed up life. In this chapter you're going to get a bit of a deeper insight as well as a few things about the Uchihas overall. You'll also learn a bit about Sasuke and his flaw in school (yes it's a shocker, the famous Uchiha Sasuke has a flaw in his studies; the world is coming to an end). So we understand each other? Good. Without further or do, I present chapter two!

One extra note: Assume this is a Saturday because I don't think I put the day in for the last chapter

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_Chapter Two: Rules and Wishes_

Why wouldn't it stop ringing? Why wouldn't the agonizing tune cease? Sure, Itachi was a fan of Maroon 5 but the lyrics to 'Wake Up Call' were quickly becoming his worse enemy. He placed his head under his pillow trying to block out the powerful chorus but the words seeped through the satin pillowcase. Releasing a growl Itachi removed his head from under the pillow and glared at his sleek, solid black Samsung in pure abhorrence. He glanced at his digital alarm clock and the red numbers stated that it was 6:45 AM. The twenty-one year old retrieved the Samsung and opened it to see that he had 23 missed calls. Every single one was from Shimeta.

Three days have passed since Itachi officially divorced from the Haruno and he felt no regrets nor was he going back to her. A person can only withstand so much yelling along with so many bitch fits. Plus he knew the girl never even wanted _him_. No she didn't want _him_, she wanted his _wallet_. Itachi knew females could shop but when he saw that Shimeta swallowed over 80,000 dollars in just three days he knew he had a gold digger on his hands. With a spending rate like that he knew she could bleed him dry if she had full access to his money. To waste his time on a woman who favored money over her own life was something he viewed as pointless. It just displayed how superficial some people were in the world.

Itachi released a sigh as he rose from his king-sized bed placing the Samsung on the end table. Running his pale hands through his ebony hair he departed to his bathroom. With fifteen minutes filled with taking care of his daily business he dressed him in all black: pants, button shirt, and shoes. Itachi retrieved his leather wallet and his Samsung from the end table before departing from his bedroom.

The Uchiha mansion was perplex from the inside as it was grand from the outside. Itachi had no actual account of how many rooms were located in the home but he knew there were more than fifteen bedrooms and more than twenty bathrooms completed with a kitchen where the cooks worked, a dining room accented with antique touches, a beautiful living room, a finely stocked library, and a well furnished study where his father took care of his work. Itachi defined it more as an affluent maze rather than a lovely home. During his first seven years of being able to walk on his own two feet the Uchiha often got lost even on his way to the living room. Even with knowledge now the farthest place he knows to date is where the third guest bedroom is and that was down the hall from where his room was on the third floor. The mansion itself was equipped with eight floors in all plus an attic.

Itachi reached the bottom of the finely crated cherry wood staircase that landed in a narrow hall that included four extended hallways. Two were on the left and two were on the right. One led to the living room, one led to the kitchen, one led to the dining room, and one, oddly, led to the entrance to the garden. If he continued forward then Itachi would end up in the study and he didn't want to end up there. He spent three days avoiding his father and he planned on making it four. He went down the second hallway on the left and ended up in the living room where he saw Sasuke watching television.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Don't you have homework to do Sasuke?"

"I did it already," Sasuke answered in a monotonous tone

"What did you have?"

"Geometry, Art, Chem, and Lit"

Itachi lead against the threshold, "And you had European History correct?"

Sasuke side glanced him, "No, not correct"

"Sasuke"

The younger Uchiha released a sigh as he cut off the television, "I hate European History; none of it calculates into any sense in my brain"

"If it frustrates you so much then why don't you just ask for a tutor? Yes we Uchiha are gifted with knowledgeable minds but no one in the world has the power to know every strand of information that exists in the world"

Sasuke looked at the ground, "I don't know…it just doesn't piece together in my mind when it comes to answering anything. Iruka-sensai said that if I fail the next test I'll be put down a letter grade and that's a D to an F. If that happens then Dad is going to kill me"

Itachi understood what Sasuke was going through. It was the simple system of upholding the family name through all activities. Grades were especially important to Fugaku for it displayed, in his view, the level of intelligence his children possessed within their minds. Itachi never had to withstand any lectures when it came to his grades; he excelled in the academic world. Sasuke also performed well but his European History grades usually earned him constant scolding of how he was incompetent and that he needed to be more like Itachi.

Itachi looked at him, "I'm sure your teacher would assign you a tutor that would help you"

Sasuke released a sigh as he sat back, "I hope so; I just hope Dad won't find out"

"Don't worry; I'll make sure he doesn't"

Sasuke smiled, "Thanks"

The doorbell sounded through the room. The sound was normal until the end where the sound of a window being broken was heard. They knew the foreign sound was a result of their doorbell not being fixed properly. None the less Itachi went over to the door and opened it to reveal two females, one taller than the other. Both possessed pink hair, emerald eyes, and pale skin. Both were wearing a pink tank top but the taller one wore green pants while the shorter one wore a black skirt. Without a word being spoken Itachi slammed the door in their faces.

Sasuke released a sigh, "Father invited them…"

"Fuck," Itachi opened the door, "Shimeta, did you go whining to my father about our current situation?"

The taller one took much to the insult, "I didn't whine; I _conversed_ with him"

"Wow, such a nice word; do you think an expanded vocabulary will cause me to grovel for you to take me back into your life? I don't think so"

Shimeta looked at the shorter girl by her side, "Sakura, why don't you go sit with Sasuke?"

The shorter girl smiled, "You don't have to ask me twice," in an instant she was on the couch clinging to Sasuke

"Get off me," Sasuke ordered

"It doesn't work on them Sasuke," Itachi mentioned as Shimeta walked past him, "They just don't know what the word 'no' means," he closed the door

Shimeta looked at her ex-husband, "You divorced me for no reason"

"No, I divorced you because you planned on bleeding me dry of the money I possessed within the crevices of my bank account"

"Stop with all the big words already"

Itachi sighed, "First of all 'crevices' is not a big word, there are only eight letters and this is how I normally speak my words so if you can't get used to the traditional way of me speaking in the presence of others then I see no specific reason for us being together"

A young butler entered the room, "Itachi and Ms. Haruno, Mr. Uchiha awaits your presence in his study"

'_Joy, now I'm gonna receive a shit load from him,'_ Itachi looked at the butler, "Thank you Reikoku," Itachi walked off through the door, "Come Shimeta before you end up becoming lost and I'm forced to locate you in this labyrinth they define as a house"

Shimeta followed closely behind the Uchiha down the narrow hallway, "What is your problem? You act as if I did something to you"

"You have actually. You've nearly busted my eardrums with your continuous ranting, you nearly made all of my money disappear from its home, and I've suffered major migraines (sp?) to the point where standing up on my own two feet was no longer an option of life," Itachi led her around the corner and straight down to the door that was a few feet away from the staircase and opened it revealing his father's study where he saw his father sitting at his desk.

Shimeta bowed before him, "Good morning Mr. Uchiha"

Fugaku gave her a smile, "Good morning Shimeta"

"Now I know I'm in trouble," Itachi commented not really caring for this particular subject anymore

Fugaku looked at his eldest son, "I am disappointed in you; you were always the light to our clan and you go off and divorce the woman who would provide children"

"The only things this woman provides are sore ears, immense debt, and three week migraines"

"I didn't place you in debt," Shimeta argued, "and besides, I was only doing it so I would look my best for you"

Itachi looked at her, "Well with looks like that I don't think any type of make up would cover up the aging foulness that exists on your face"

"That is enough Itachi," Mr. Uchiha ordered

"It's my honest opinion"

"I said that is enough! I will not have disgrace our family name with your ignorant indifference due to the fragmentary that exist within your mind at this very moment!"

Itachi glared at his father, "No kind of fragmentary exists within my mind nor has there ever been any. I am twenty-one years old which means I'm an adult who can make his own decisions. That means I _don't_ require your permission to carry out a divorce that was decided upon me for the benefit of my life. If it is too much for you to handle the fact that I have an inquiring mind of my own that can identify the difference between a wonderful wife and a disgraceful gold digger then I guess things between us were as strained as I presumed them to be"

With that statement declared Itachi departed from the study and headed down the hall that led to the living room. He put up with the damn marriage for five years allowing his father's wish to be fulfilled. Itachi wanted to see if Shimeta would change but since no kind of thing happened he saw no reason to allow the unsuccessful marriage to continue for another year. The rule for all Uchiha sons were to be married off at the age of sixteen and stay married until death of the spouse or themselves. The way of the Uchiha is all he has followed during his whole life.

Saying goodbye to Sasuke the twenty-one year old left the Uchiha mansion and entered his solid black, glistening Porsche that _he_ purchased out of _his_ own pocket. Driving down the road away from the driveway Itachi was deciding on where to go. As long as it was away from that sadistic hellhole his parents defined as a mansion then Itachi would be good with going anywhere.

The relationship Itachi had with Fugaku was not one completely on a normal father to son level. Acknowledgement was provided when Itachi obeyed all rules as well as fulfilled all wishes assigned to him by his father. Such an ordered lifestyle; everything was designed perfectly, perfect grades, perfect everything. The plain out perfection was rotting the last nerve he had existing in his mind and if a person of ignorance can't eliminate it then he knew perfection would beat the person to it. Perfection was strictly ordered to be upheld and Itachi was so willing to tear down that flawless empire of absolute excellence and precision.

Itachi never fully respected his father when it came down to all of the rules and the wishes the adult kept giving him. Itachi saw himself as a human being, not some mystical creature that kids envision in their minds when they hear about them in storybooks and fairytales. At times the male did wish that a genie existed so he could wish away this dull life of constant work. That was all Itachi did; it was the only reason why he was still living in the mansion.

Uchiha Inc. is a leading company in solid manufacturing and owns an array of stores that continue to keep their market up in the high ratings. With every other company contacting to discuss about merging Itachi was lucky that he even caught a wink of sleep the night before. He was placed to work in the business because Fugaku was planning on allowing Itachi to take over the company. The issue with this particular wish was that Itachi saw no real future for him in the corporate world. He didn't even want a career in the business field. Sure Itachi knew everything from the secrets of the stock market to the raging numbers of high class statistics but he didn't want anything to do with companies. His passion lied within the fine lines of drawing and painting.

Itachi academics were nowhere near his ingenuity in the world of arts. The twenty-one year old focused on various styles of art but fell into the popular vortex of drawing and painting. When he told his parents, at age thirteen, that he wanted to be an artist Mikoto, his mother, was proud that he was chasing a goal. Fugaku, however, ripped up his drawing book and told him that the corporate world was where he was going to be.

Itachi flipped open his Samsung and pressed down on '5' for speed dial. Waiting for the dial tone to pass he pulled up to a stoplight and ran his left hand through his hair after releasing a frustrated sigh.

"Hello?" was the response coming from the other end of the line

Itachi scratched behind his ear, "Kisame, we need to talk"

"Having marriage issues again?"

Itachi drove off, "No, I divorced her and she came crying to my father"

Kisame released a small laugh, "I guess rejection is not listed in her vocabulary. Father got pissed huh?"

"As far as I'm concerned at the moment he can kiss my fucking ass; I'll meet up with you in fifteen minutes"

"Alright Itachi"

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Phew, that was a lot to type and I had to go back a good number of times to make sure I typed everything correctly (not saying that everything is completely correct; there might be a few mistakes I didn't catch). Anyways, how was it? Too wordy, not enough? Good, bad? Honesty is the best policy people! Give me your critisism; I take it in full like the reviewer that told me about my OCs and said I should use more of the original cast (which I've only done for one story so far when it came to Naruto). That is advice I will follow. So anything you have I'll take.

Now for all you flamers out there who live to flame other people's work to enjoy the reactions that the authors give I am telling you right now you're wasting your time on flaming my story. Sure you can do it I certainly wouldn't care; I'm not gonna scream at you. I just know that if you don't like it there are at least three to four people that like it. So yeah, do what you please and don't be surprised if you get something from me (not saying it'll be mean or anything).

Next: An exploration into Deidara's life (I'm telling you now: his real job is NOT bartending)

Later: Sasuke gets a tutor (I bet you have a good guess of who it is)


	3. Hanging by a Thread

Yayz! Ten reviews! Awesome! Okay let us review what we've learned so far: 1. Itachi is now officially single to a divorce, 2. Sasuke has OCD and sucks at European History, and 3. Fugaku is displeased with Itachi's decision of divorce. So with Itachi having his hands full as it is let's switch subjects and go over to Deidara's life. Now a mistake that I made: Deidara is officially 19 in this story (I had to check something when I was planning this out and I saw that he would be just plain 19). Naruto's age is still the same though, he's 15 and will turn 16 soon.

Now in this chapter you are going to learn what Deidara does for a living and trust me, that whole bartender thing that he did in the first chapter is _NOT_ his real job. In here it sheds so light and also there's a bit of an added pairing in this story and that's NejiNaru (that will be explained probably in the fourth or fifth chapter because it plays a part when it comes to the SasuNaru pairing). So let us march on into chapter three!

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_Chapter Three: Hanging by a Thread_

Deidara could feel his bed moving. The movement was annoying the hell out of him. The only problem to the situation was that he didn't know _what _was causing the movement. Groaning he moved his legs which resulted to the sound of a thud on the floor. A sigh followed as the nineteen year old removed his head from under the dowdy pillow and looked on the floor to what created the simple yet utterly distracting noise. He found a young teenager with golden blonde hair that matched his, sun kissed tan skin, sapphire blue eyes, and was wearing a loud, neon orange T-Shirt, black jeans, and a thin silver chain.

Deidara glared at the boy, "What were you doing jumping on my bed Naruto, un?"

The blonde gave a toothy grin and gave a nervous laugh, "You wouldn't wake up so I decided to get you up"

The glare disappeared from Deidara's eyes and was replaced with another sigh, "Look, I told you not to do that to me, un. Keep doing it and you'll end up cracking your skull at least once"

"But it's carpet"

"That has a hard surface under it, un. Anyways, did you do your homework?"

Naruto scratched his head, "Uh…yep, everything's done!"

Deidara raised an eyebrow, "Everything is done, un?"

"Yep, Geometry, Art, Chem, Lit, and, my absolute favorite, Euro History; all assignments are completed"

"You told me that last week and I found out that you only did Euro History and Lit"

Naruto gave a nervous laugh, "You found that out?"

Deidara sat on the edge of the bed, "Just make sure you do your homework and turn it in okay, un? I placed you back in school for a reason and I want you to actually pass your grade where D's don't reign over your report cards"

Naruto looked at the older one and gave a small smile, "Okay Deidara"

"Good now where in the world are you going?"

Naruto looked down at his clothes, "Oh!" he looked up at the older one with a huge grin, "I'm going out with Neji today!"

Deidara removed the heap of hair lingering near his left eye, "Hyuga Neji…didn't you break up with him two months ago, un?"

Naruto stood up, "I did but we got back together two weeks ago! We're better than ever now"

"Okay then, un. And I'm assuming that he's picking you up or am I wrong?"

Naruto shook his head, "Nah, I'm meeting him somewhere and I was wondering if you would take me. That's why I was trying to get you up"

Deidara released a yawn, "Alright, just wait downstairs; I'll be done in fifteen minutes"

The nineteen year old watched as the adolescent sprinted out of his bedroom and he gave a sigh as he rose from his bed. Deidara really didn't feel like getting up today. In fact he was planning to keep his ass in bed all day. No type of light from neither sun nor moon was going to be shown to his naturalized deep blue eyes. He was trying to avoid something and someone at the same time but he knew the stay-in-bed thing wasn't going to get him far. So Naruto's wake up call soon became something that really didn't matter anymore to him. As life went on there were many things that didn't matter to Deidara anymore.

Every day Deidara felt he was too damn lucky to even have what he has stored within his home as well as his own mind and heart. With a little brother to care for his natural lifestyle only added fuel to the ominous fire that continued to burn his past memories of a regular childhood (which he never had).

Deidara and Naruto are normally three years apart with their birthdays being in consecutive months; Deidara's was September 15 and Naruto's was October 10. Deidara saw it fit and fair to say that neither one of them possessed an actual childhood due to the extent of abuse that was inflicted upon them. Their mother died when Deidara was six leaving their father in charge to watch over them. In that time span neglect was the only thing Naruto received from the Uzumaki adult while Deidara was being constantly exposed to the world of sex, money, and drugs in various forms. With such knowledge of the normal dangers that could end your life abruptly Deidara changed overall as he aged through the years.

Deidara smoked his first cigarette when he was only eight. The inhalation of smoke into his lungs didn't make him nauseas as the older people around him expected him to. After cigarettes he was promoted to smoking pot which soon transformed into marijuana, weed, and meth. Binge drinking was considered a necessity according to his father and at age twelve Deidara began downing everything from Smirnoff vodka to six week old Hennessey without the added side effects that usually came with the reckless activity.

Trying to toss such memories aside Deidara departed to the bathroom and took care of his business in ten minutes. Coming away from the bathroom he dressed himself in black pants, a white wife beater, a black shirt that was left unbuttoned, and a thin silver chain that resembled the one Naruto was wearing. Deidara retrieved his iPhone from his rickety end table that he keeps forgetting the fix and his wallet that, somehow, ended up on the floor. He departed from his room and descended down the stairs to find his brother staring into plain nothingness. Spacing out was a simple normality for the soon-to-be sixteen year old. Deidara picked up an apple from the brown fruit bowl and threw it at Naruto's head.

"Ow!" Naruto rubbed his head and whined to his older brother, "Why did you do that Deidara!"

Deidara retrieved the car keys on the coffee table, "Because you were spacing out, un. Now c'mon, I have to go work"

Naruto frowned as he followed Deidara out of the apartment, "Can't you skip work today…?"

Deidara unlocked his red Corvette and looked at the younger one, "I can't; we're low on cash. The rent is coming in next week as well as my car bill, un. Is it okay if Neji walks home with you, un?"

"Yeah it's fine…," was the whispered response he received from Naruto as the teen entered the passenger's side

Deidara entered the car and drove off from the apartment. The nineteen year old's life was set on providing everything he can for Naruto in any possible way he could. The well being of his younger brother always came before his in any situation, even death. When Naruto was being neglected by their father, Deidara would go spend time with him allowing them to have an existing bond. When their father found out Deidara was forced to down two bottles of vodka and a half bottle of hard liquor as punishment. The "punishment" was another act of display that told Deidara that his father had no more real use for him. In simpler terms, Mr. Uzumaki was bored with the boy.

Wanting to renew his life for the better Deidara ran away from his treacherous home taking Naruto with him. The older one knew that Mr. Uzumaki was going to progress to physical abuse with the younger one just to fill his void of boredom. Starting off fresh everything went fine until Deidara got caught up in something at the age of fifteen. After that the situation he got caught up in soon became his main source of natural income as it was his main source of natural problems.

Arriving in front of the movie complex Deidara looked at his brother, "Need anything, un?"

"Just a couple of bucks for movie tickets…," Naruto answered, "Neji said he'd pay for the food if I paid for the tickets"

Deidara took out a ten dollar bill and handed it to him, "Okay, seven dollars for movie tickets and the extra three, I'm pretty sure, you'll use for ice cream, un"

Naruto stared at the money before hugging the older one. It was the same hug Deidara received every time he walked out of the apartment. It was the same hug he received when he returns home so early in the morning. It was the same hug he received each time the two were to be separated even if it was only for a mere five minutes. Each day the hug became longer for each day Deidara knew that Naruto grew weary every time Deidara left for work. At times Deidara could notice that Naruto thought he would never see him again and the older one wasn't going to blame him for such a thought. He had every reason to feel that way.

Deidara separated from his brother and ruffled his hair, "Have fun okay, un? I'll be back"

Naruto gave him a small smile as he exited the car, "Okay, bye Deidara!"

After watching the hyperactive teen enter the movie complex Deidara sped off down the road. In full honesty he really didn't feel like going to work today but it was the only way to earn his income to pay off anything. Playing bartender in random clubs wasn't going to cut it even though _portraying_ a bartender was part of his real job. It really all depended on what he was assigned to do.

When he pulled up to a stoplight Deidara retrieved his iPhone and began checking his messages. Before reading his new ones he began deleting piles of junk that random people keep sending him. He didn't know _how_ people he didn't know found out how to send things to him but at the same time he didn't really care. He was going to delete it in the long run. Scrolling back up to his new messages Deidara opened the one from his boss which displayed two simple words: you're late. Being completely aware of his late situation Deidara threw the message away and moved up to the next one his boss sent him: pick up at Tsukiomi St. and Kitami Rd. Releasing a sigh Deidara drove off and made an immediate left as he phone began ringing in his hand.

Accepting the call he placed the phone to his ear, "Hello, un?"

"'You're late"

Deidara groaned in pure annoyance, "Yes Sasori, I'm fully aware that I am fifteen minutes late"

"Twenty"

"Whatever, un"

Sasori kept his natural tone, "Don't 'whatever' me; you know what time you're supposed to get here before you start out"

Deidara could feel his boss' glare through the phone, "Yes I know, un. I accidentally overslept; it happens to the best of us"

Sasori gave a small sigh, "Just get over near that alley near that crossway and retrieve what I asked for and this time, can you PLEASE avoid the confrontation? I'm getting tired of you approaching me with some new scar or a novel black eye"

"They start it, un. I don't do anything but my job so I can support my brother and myself"

"Is that all you truly care about?"

Deidara became confused, "What do you mean, un?"

"Your brother; is that the only person that matters to you?"

Deidara got frustrated with the question and ended the call for two reasons: one, he was nearing his destination and two, he was sick of Sasori forcing him to love him but it was more of the second reason. It wasn't that Deidara didn't find his twenty-two year old boss unattractive; the older one was quite handsome. The reason why Deidara didn't like him was due to the many repulsive things Sasori does; it was enough to not want to go near him.

Deidara stopped in front of a narrow alley and lowered his window to get a view of the dim passageway. He checked his clock and looked out to see a male approching him with a brown package in his possession. Deidara eyed him closely as the male walked towards him checking for anything suspicious. The blonde took out a cigarette as the male showed him parcel.

Deidara lit his cigarette and looked at the male, "Is it what he asked for, un?"

The male nodded, "All of it is there?"

The nineteen year old took the rectangular prism box and placed it in the seat next to him. Deidara retrieved a stack of money from the glove compartment and was about to give it to the male. Instead of giving him the money the blonde took out his gun and shot the male in the chest three times making him fall in front of his car door. Deidara opened his car door and dug into the male's pocket to find a pocket knife sticking out which signified it was going to be put to use at that very moment. Deidara closed the door and drove off leaving the fresh corpse lying there on the street.

Making a number of six right turns and three left turns Deidara pulled into the parking lot of a large wide building called _Electric Glow_. It was a place that the blonde grew to have absolute abhorrence for due to the actions performed every night along with the actions _he_ had to go through each night. Grabbing the box Deidara departed from his Corvette securing the vehicle and dropped the fully smoked cigarette on the frigid concrete. Deidara took the back entrance going down a dark, narrow hallway that entered into a large room drenched in a bright neon light blue filled with bodies flailing around everywhere to the beat of extensive techno music and exclusive eurotrash.

Deidara watched as a young girl, who he could tell was a fifteen year old girl, allowed a male, who looked to be around twenty years old, place a pure white pill on a tongue and pour a swig of vodka down her throat. The nineteen year old gave a sigh and started going through the crowd to reach his destination. As he walked he could feel all types of liquids falling on him which were just plain beer and strong vodka; something he was used to. Deidara reached the back of the club and entered the room where some people were lounging around on boxes and wooden chairs. The people were either high from smoking weed or marijuana or they were tired due to shots of heorin that were placed in ther bodies.

The only person he saw that was completely alive and sober was a male with short, ruby red hair and off black eyes that complimented his pale skin tone. Deidara released a small sigh as he approached the male and sat down on the wooden chair that was across from him.

The blonde tossed him the package, "There's your stupid box, un"

The male looked at the box and glanced up at him, "Where's the rest of it?"

"What are you talking about Sasori, un? That's all he gave me"

"You son of a bitch, there was more to this you mother fucker"

Deidara glared at him, "Well how was I supposed to know, un? Besides he's dead anyway so it doesn't even matter"

Sasori gave a death glare to blonde and threw a beer bottle at him causing it to break and create a few scratches on Deidara's face, "I want the rest of it tomorrow"

Deidara wiped the blood that existed on his face, "I can't come tomorrow night, un. Naruto has a soccer game tomorrow night and I don't want to miss it"

Sasori grabbed the nineteen year old by his shirt with one of his hands, "Look you asswipe, you just got me cheated out of a fucking deal; if you want _any_ money from me then I suggest you cancel those fucking plans and get me what I asked for," the redhead threw Deidara across the room making him hit the door

Deidara looked at the older one, "Can't I do something else…?"

Sasori's first intention was to go ahead and kick the blonde but soon produced a different thought, "Okay, I know what you can do to make up the rest of your deal," Sasori rose from his seat going over to Deidara and knelt before him, "Uchiha Itachi"

Deidara raised an eyebrow, "What about Uchiha Itachi?"

"I need you to steal every single penny he has to his name and rid of him in the end; seeing as how you are the most attractive male of my group it shouldn't be much of a problem"

"He's not gay, un; he had a wife"

Sasori looked at him, "You can turn him gay; I know you can. Make him fall for you and take everything away from him. I don't care how you do it, I don't even give a fuck about you having sex with him; do whatever you can to make sure you retrieve all of his money and then when you are completely sure kill him on the seen. It's not like anyone will truly find out how he's dead now will they?"

Deidara glanced down at the floor, "No…"

"Exactly," the twenty-two year old rose and walked away from him

Deidara knew that he could've been injured or killed due to his screw up but instead he receives an assignment; an assignment that he has received in the past and accomplished each and every time. Truly deep down Deidara was gay, he found this out when he was only in third grade and he knew what it meant to and it wasn't the definition of being very happy. When he starting working for Sasori the redhead produced an idea of the blonde sleeping with affluent men to retrieve every dime he has; since then Deidara successfully robbed and killed twenty-three men who were between the ages of twenty and thirty-two. If the drug dealing and the drug intakes didn't make him feel sick enough then serving as a deceptive whore definitely did. He always felt so dirty, so disgusting, so vile but he always reminded himself that he did it for Naruto. He is always hanging by a thread for his little brother and he would continue to hang by that feeble thread until it decided to break allowing him to go to the one place Deidara felt like he neeeded to go. Hell.

* * *

Aw, poor Deidara has to do illegal stuff to get by. Sad isn't it? Okay, is it good? Is it bad? Too much? Too little? Too wordy? No too descriptive? C'mon, help me out here peoples, I'd like to know what you think. I'm all for your reviews and your critisism (and if you have flames place them but I'm tell you; you're wasting your time). More characters of Naruto are officially entering in the fourth chapter because here's what is coming up

Next: How Sasuke and Naruto normally spend their school day (you can imagine how they act towards one another)

Later: Sasuke is assigned a tutor (and you all know who I'm talking about; it's no secret ot who it is)


	4. Within School Walls

Woot! Thanks for all the reviews you guys! You all are so wonderful! So in this chapter we're going to discuss a few things about what happens within school: high school and college. Yep and if the end looks a little weird it's because my brain started getting blank. Pass go, collect 200 dollars, and read through chapter 4!

Notes: The Japanese symbol represents a break

* * *

_Chapter Four: Within School Walls_

Deidara hated Mondays. He felt he had every reason to despise the first day of the natural school week. The nineteen year old always felt so worn out from the weekend and to wake up to a bright, beautiful Monday morning only created disgust within him. Deidara descended the staircase picking up his box of cigarettes retrieving one of the nicotine filled sticks. Even though he had the cigarette in his hand Deidara didn't place it in his mouth; his lighter was missing. Placing the box in his pocket Deidara walked into the kitchen to see Naruto eating ramen.

Deidara sat in the chair next to the teenager, "Naruto"

Naruto looked over at his older brother with a huge grin, "Morning Deidara!"

"Where's my lighter Naruto, un?"

The grin on the boy's face disappeared, "I don't know"

"Don't lie to me Naruto; where is it?" Naruto remained silent and Deidara sighed, "Naruto, we've already been through this, un…"

The fifteen year old glared at the older one and threw the black lighter at him, "Those things can kill you…"

"Naruto…"

Naruto grabbed his bag and pushed his chair under the table, "Look, forget it alright; I'm gonna be late for the bus"

The young blonde departed from the kitchen and left the apartment walking down the sidewalk to the bus stop. Naruto knew he was being a bit harsh towards his older sibling and he knew he shouldn't but it was so hard not to. Naruto knew Deidara has tried countless times to quit drugs and smoking but nothing was working. He knew every second was a battle for the nineteen year old but Naruto couldn't feel anything but hate towards his habits. The constant dependencies always made Naruto feel like he was going to lose Deidara within the next day or the next hour or the next minute or the next second. Every time he saw Deidara smoking a cigarette or tired from a shot of heroin Naruto thought the older one was going to fall flat on his face and die in front of him. The thoughts caused Naruto's stomach to churn in antipathy; he constantly blamed his father for causing Deidara to be the way he was with drugs.

Reaching the lone stop the bus pulled up in front of the blonde and the doors opened. Naruto ascended the four steps to see students all in the same grade conversing with different people. He walked up the aisle and made his way to the seventh seat to the left. He placed his bag next to him as he sat next to the window. The bus pulled off and Naruto could feel two gazes on him; he knew very well who they belonged two. One belonged to Sakura and the other belonged to her best friend, Yamanaka Ino. The boy groaned as he heard the duo begin whispering and he knew very well what they were discussing.

Naruto wasn't the most popular person in the school and, frankly, he didn't care to be the center of attention. He had a heart of gold but didn't hold an ego that could be the representation of the first deadly sin. So with that he was usually the target of everyone else's jokes, pranks, and insults while there were a small few that actually respected him.

"Hey Naruto"

Naruto didn't look to see who called him; he didn't need to, "What Sakura?"

"What did you make on the Geometry test last week?"

"Why?"

Sakura shrugged, "Just wanna know; I made a 93; pretty good huh?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "It should be considering it's an A"

Ino smiled, "And I earned a 90; so what do YOU get Naruto"

Naruto sighed, "I got a 41, happy?"

This caught many people's attention and a random person shouted out, "A 41?! That test was fucking easy; how can you make a 41?!"

"We have to remember the boy is a natural born idiot," a random girl spoke

"Aw that's to bad Naruto," Ino said in fake sympathy, "but hey, there's always next time"

Sakura giggled a bit, "Yeah I mean hey, if you grow a few more brain cells you might actually go up half a point!"

The normal laughter broke out and Naruto sat there not wanting to shed a tear. He knew this was simply harmless and that he's been through worse with the students but it still hurt. Naruto's strongest points lied within Literature, Art, Music, and, most of all, European History. Everyone was completely unaware that Naruto had the highest grade in all four of those classes. Chemistry was fine and so was Foreign Language but the one class he always struggled in was Geometry. It was a class that he could not translate into his mind. He passed Algebra I in seventh grade and passed Algebra II in eighth grade; in both classes he passed with a glistening A. Instead of moving on to Trigonometry like he was supposed to when he entered eleventh grade, he had to retake Geometry and retrieve credits for it since he near failed the class last year.

Naruto noticed that the laughter cease and he heard footsteps ascending the aisle. He looked up and a small smile appeared on his face. A boy with lengthy brown hair, sparkling pearl eyes, pale skin who was wearing an onyx hoodie and beige cargo pants was walking past seats causing everyone to remain silent. When he reached Naruto's seat the blonde moved his bag to the floor allowing the boy to sit as the bus pulled off.

The boy looked at the blonde, "They started giving you a hard time again?"

The smile disappeared and Naruto nodded, "Yeah…"

Sakura scoffed, "It's not that serious Neji; we were just poking a little fun"

Neji looked at the girl, "No, poking a little fun would be me describing how freakishly large your forehead is; it's so damn big I can draw all seven continents." The comment received some laughs and Neji continued, "He didn't do anything to you so just leave him the fuck alone before I kick your ass off this bus through the window"

Naruto watched as Sakura glared at the Hyuga before turning her attention back to Ino and the blonde looked at Neji, "Thanks…"

Neji gave him a small smile, "Anything for you. Don't you have a jacket or something? They said the heaters in the classrooms aren't working"

"Not again…can I use your hoodie then?"

Neji took off the black hoodie revealing a black wife beater and handed the hoddie to Naruto, "I have another one in my locker"

Naruto put the hoodie on him and leaned against the brunette, "Are you _trying_ to get my ass kicked with what you're wearing? You know how many girls got mad at me when they found out that we got back together?"

Neji wrapped his arm around the blonde, "Let them be mad; it's not my problem," Neji looked over at him, "You seem a bit despondent…rough morning?"

Naruto nodded slowly, "Sort of but I'll feel better though"

Naruto wrapped his arms loosely around Neji's waist and pushed himself closer to him feeling an immense amount of warmth. The bus stopped at its next stop and Neji and Naruto could here the loving sighs of the females on the bus; that signified one thing. Naruto produced a huge frown and Neji kept an emotionless face as the one and only Sasuke walked up the aisle.

Sakura smiled, "Hi Sasuke!"

Sasuke groaned when he heard the girl's voice, "For the last time Sakura, leave me alone or I will literally place a restraining order on you," Sasuke turned his head to the left and produced a smirk, "Well if it isn't the low class dobe; ready to place your name in the vortex of mockery once more?"

Neji glared at the Uchiha, "Leave him alone or I'll personally kick your ass"

Sasuke's smirk grew, "That would be an interesting fight wouldn't it Hyuga?"

The Uzumaki glared at Sasuke, "Go fuck yourself teme"

"You idiot, everyone knows that is physically impossible for any human to pull off"

Naruto gave a smirk, "Yeah but I bet you've been practicing all your life to make sure you can get the same pleasure as two horny rabbits fucking each other"

A low monotonous 'ooo' erupted from the students and Sakura stood beside the Uchiha, "Don't say that you fucking incompetent idiot! Hell at least Sasuke's IQ is not the same as his age or better yet _lower_ than his age!"

Naruto rolled his sapphire eyes, "Let's remind everyone that I'm not you okay Sakura"

"Yeah Naruto because if you WERE me you'd have a fucking life and a SOBER older sibling"

Naruto glared at her and jumped up to hit her, "YOU BITCH!"

Neji gained control of the blonde and pulled him down in the seat, "It's okay Naruto…"

Sakura gave him a smirk, "What's wrong? Can't handle it? Who knows? Maybe you'll be just like him"

Neji quickly leered at her and growled, "Go sit your fucking self don't you bitch ass two-bit whore. The last thing I want is for my boyfriend to be infested with fifty fucking STDs that you contracted from a bunch of seventy year old men"

With that insult no sound needed to be made by the students. It was plain known that once Neji drifted off into those kinds of issues it signified he was royally pissed. Sakura sat back down next to Ino and Sasuke continued towards the back to his seat where he sat down. Gaining a bit of control of his OCD he didn't have to get up and sit down seven times before actually sitting. He knew it was something small but in his case it was a huge accomplishment.

The bus pulled off and Neji turned his attention to the blonde who had a tears trailing down his face, "Don't cry Naruto…"

Naruto wrapped his arms around Neji's waist once again but this time he had a tighter grip and he dug his face into the brunette's neck, "That fucking bitch…her sister attends the same college as Deidara…"

Neji could feel the cold tears trail down his neck and he placed the hood on Naruto's head, "It's alright…it's going to be alright…"

愛

Thirty minutes later the bus pulled in and the students departed from the vehicle. Neji and Naruto walked out of the bus hand in hand while Naruto had his head on the older one's shoulder. Neji was able to get the young blonde to stop shedding tears but he knew that deep down Naruto was purely hurt by the direct comment.

Sasuke walked by the duo and gave a smirk to the blonde, "See you in class dipshit"

Naruto glared at the Uchiha as he walked up, "Fuck you asswipe"

The duo entered the school and Neji looked at the blonde, "I see the rivalry between you two is still fresh"

"He's a fucking bastard! His life was SET on making my school life miserable! If Sakura wasn't on Earth to do it then he was!"

The two stopped at Neji's locker and the brunette let out a light chuckle as he opened the locker, "I swear you love to exaggerate everything in your way"

"Oh c'mon Neji; you know it's true! He hates my guts!"

Neji took out his copy of Catch-22, his Trigonometry book, and his white hoodie and closed his locker, "Yes I know; I know it all too well. He expressed it the first time we got together in fifth grade; his comments about you broke our friendship"

Naruto looked at him, "So THAT'S why you and Sasuke stopped talking to one another"

The couple entered room 421 to find their friends waiting for them sitting upon desk and chairs. Naruto sat his bag down in the corner nearest to the door and Neji placed his books on top of the bag. Neji walked over placing the hoodie on himself and leaned against the teacher's desk while Naruto leaned against him wrapping his arms around Neji's waist and digging his face into the Hyuga's chest.

"You had a rough morning Naruto?"

Neji released a sigh, "He couldn't even make it through the morning Kiba"

Inuzuka Kiba shook his head, "That's a shame, poor kid"

Sabaku Gaara continuously tossed a tennis ball in the air, "They're all pricks and bitches; what do they know?"

Nara Shikamaru yawned as he lied back down on the black table, "Not much that's for sure. Does anybody have any clear idea where Choji went off to?"

"He and his parents went off to America to visit some relative," Kiba answered, "Is Lee still trying to catch a date with Pinky?"

"Still truckin''"

Garra closed his eyes as he caught the tennis ball in his left hand, "She's a bitch; I told him he's wasting his time. I guess that piece of important information didn't stick"

Shikamaru shrugged, "He'll catch on"

The bell sounded through the halls of Amethyst High and Kiba sighed, "Here goes another day at Amethyst High; we'll wait outside for you Naruto"

When the three beings left the room Naruto looked up at Neji, "I don't want to go…"

"I know you hate Geometry Naruto but it's the very first class which means it'll be over with and you won't have to face it later," Neji moved the hood off the fifteen year old's head and ran his pale hand through the spiky blonde hair, "I have every class with you except for first and my Trig class is only three doors down from your Geometry class so there's nothing to worry about"

Naruto gave a smile to his boyfriend, "Okay Neji"

愛

Deidara didn't hate school. He never found the heart or the nerve to do so. No he didn't hate school one bit. There were, however, two things that he didn't like about school: the teachers and the students. Deidara has had friends in lower grades before college and he still has some of them but when it came to everyone else it just equaled pure, unadulterated hell in his mind.

Deidara liked a few things about college. One thing was that he didn't have to go to the actual college every single day like you have to do in regular school. Two, since he never went on campus every day that means he doesn't have to continue to see the people he wants to chop up with a butcher knife. He also found it nice that he didn't have to constantly see the faces of his teachers. Deidara hated every single one of his teachers. Just hearing their names made him want to go out, grab a chainsaw, and slice their heads off. What made it worse was that all of his professors were related which, at first, he didn't believe. After finding out that the whole related tale wasn't a lie Deidara made his educational life a bit easier by: one, not getting an apartment on campus; two, by going to classes three days out of the week; and three, getting good grades on every assignment which he loved. He didn't love it because of his averages (which helps maintain his straight A's), he loved it because it pissed his professors off; they hated him. One the first day all of them called Deidara a 'no good troublemaker who can't apply himself even if Kami himself came down and blessed him'.

The nineteen year old turned through the three stapled sheets at the case before him and took out a few sheets of paper and a book. Opening the book and placing it to his left Deidara began writing on his paper. Even though he was working with drugs Deidara's dream was to become a criminal lawyer. His career choice derived from him constantly watching Law & Order: Special Victims Unit making sure he analyzed every detail about what went on.

Feeling an unwanted presence Deidara glanced up, "Oh dear, it looks like Pinky the Punta has discovered me in the library, un. Someone call nine one one, I'm pretty sure she has a gun"

Shimeta rolled her eyes, "A bit on the druken side Deidara?"

Deidara stopped writing and looked at her, "No Shimeta, me being ridiculously drunk would result in me orating how wonderful and beautiful you are and how you are an excellent edition to this fine yet devastating world we call Earth. If that ever happened then my death would be certain within the next five seconds I returned sober, un"

"Stop being such a fucking prick"

"Ooo and to think I stood up for you in your time of need when it came to horrible divorce"

Shimeta glared at him, "What are you talking about?"

Deidara gave the older one a smirk as he leaned back in his chair, "Well if you must know I ran into your, now recent, ex-husband and he told me he was going to divorce you and I actually stood up for you, un. Ever since then I was wondering why the hell I didn't just say kick her fucking ass to the curb and make sure you leave an imprint"

Shimeta sat down, "You're such a fucking asshole"

Deidara raised his eyesbrows and started writing again, "Wow, I expected you to say what your ex said; guess I was wrong, un. Maybe I just hate him more than I hate you. Yeah that pretty much explains my blunder of sticking up for you, un. So what do you want anyway?"

"I came to gloat"

Deidara put his pen down, "Okay what is it?"

Shimeta smiled, "Remember that test we had two weeks ago? You know the one that had all the information you slept through and decided not to come to?"

"Yeah I remember, un"

Shimeta's smile grew, "I got a 92 A; pretty good huh"

Deidara sighed, "Shimeta, to gloat is to shove a certain accomplishment, benefit, or ability in someone's face to state that they are higher above them in a certain area or talent. Out of all these years we've known each other you _still _haven't grasped this simple concept, un. The test was worth a hundred and sixteen points due to the fact we had four cases and we needed to state the suspect or suspects, victim or victims, the charges, the evidence that was allowed to be presented in the case, the argument we would state, the verdict, and why such a verdict would be displayed as correct," Deidara watched as the girl sat their baffled and he continued, "Now tell me Shimeta, how many times does four go into one hundred sixteen, un?"

"Um…"

Deidara placed his papers in his notebook and placed it in his bag along with the book he had open, "The answer is twenty-nine which means that each case was worth twenty-nine points and seeing as how you earned a 92 A, which was the second highest grade made in all the classes, that must mean that certain points were removed from each case," he took out a grade sheet and showed it to her, "Perfect score, now if you'll excuse me I have work to do, un"

Shimeta sat their stunned and watched the nineteen year old walk off with the grade sheet still intact. A wide smirk was on Deidara's face as he left the library of Jewel University. Three great things derived from that perfect score: one, a higher average; two, Shimeta's pride being crushed by someone younger than her; and three: every single one of his teachers being pissed off at him.

As Deidara saw it right now, life was feeling so damn good

愛

Neji was reading Catch 22 as he waited for the other students to start pouring in the classroom. The Hyuga had a sense that something wasn't right and began worrying about Naruto. Though, even with that, Naruto usually told the brunette to not keep his mind completely focused on him or he'll just start worrying to the point he'll create a whole in the floor with his anxious pacing. So Neji escaped that by reading and Literature became his best friend. Hearing a seat being pulled out Neji looked to his right to see Naruto sitting down and he was an absolute mess…literally. The blonde was covered in a mixture of different types of snack foods and pencil shavings.

Neji took a piece of pink Bubblicious bubble gum from the younger one's hair, "So what happened?"

Naruto looked at him, "The teacher walked out, the threw all this shit at me, teacher came back and didn't say a thing; that just about sums it up"

Neji looked at Naruto's clothes and hair, "Okay then, but other than that, how was Geometry?"

"Hard, can you believe we're not even through the first semester and we're already doing the Pythagorean Theorm and all the rest of these triangles with special properties; it's so fucked up," Naruto watched as the students entered and he looked at his boyfriend, "How was Trig?"

Neji watched as Sasuke walked in with his best friend, Simashi Sai, and the brunette looked back at the blonde, "Less than enjoyable"

Sai and Sasuke appeared next to Neji and Naruto's table and Sai picked a barbecue chip out of the blonde's hair, "Had a nice time in Geometry Naruto?"

"Shut up Sai…," was the mumbled response given by the younger one

Sasuke removed a blue Tootsie Pop off of a piece of Bazooka bubble gum that was stuck on Naruto's left cheek, "They did better than I thought"

Naruto glared at the Uchiha, "Fucking bastard"

"Wow, I'm so scared; what ever will I do?" the Uchiha popped the candy into his mouth and continued walking with Sai following behind him.

Naruto couldn't stand Sasuke. To stay in the same room with him made the blonde want to go on a bloody rampage and castrate the older one. He could tell that the Uchiha's mission was to make his life hell and Naruto could sadly confirm that the raven was doing a damn good job of it. This sort of rivalry and hate didn't exist between them before but they weren't best friends forever either.

The two met in first grade where Naruto was all around shy and Sasuke was the class emo kid. Neither of the two boys talked with anyone and they only spared each other glances. Naruto's previous thoughts on the Uchiha were that he was just some guy who thought he was too cool to converse with anyone and that he hated everybody. Naruto found that to be wrong when Sasuke instantly made friends with Neji after only two weeks of being around one another. Their friendship formed around the same time Naruto developed his crush on the Hyuga.

It wasn't until third grade where the two began clashing and to think that the whole cycle of hatred betweeen them started with a simple case of ineptness. While walking Naruto accidentally tripped over something and went right into Sasuke making both boys fall over. This was the very first time Sasuke addressed Naruto and the raven addressed the blonde as 'dobe'. This was the first time Naruto called Sasuke 'teme'. After that it became a bitter history of harsh insults and an ongoing rivalry.

The two usually comepeted in everything including academics which is something Uchihas were supposed to be masters in. Naruto, on the other hand, knew that in the Uzumaki family not everyone was cut out to be completely on top but at the same time not many of them wanted to be on top either. Naruto had a pretty good IQ; he stood at 133 while Deidara stood at 191. No one had any idea about Deidara's IQ nor did they know anything about the young blonde's IQ. It was just one of those little facts that Naruto kept from people.

愛

Deidara returned to Jewel University's library after it was completely empty. This kind of environment allowed the nineteen year old blonde to work effectivly rather than having hoards of students pass by him every five seconds. Finishing up his explanation for the third case he was working on the sound of a book hitting the floor was heard. Deidara ceased his writing and his cerulean eyes took him to his left. Raising an eyebrow Deidara placed the pencil on his right ear as he stood up and walked over to the second bookcase near him to see Itachi placing the fallen book back in its place.

Deidara gave a puzzled look, "Is there a specific _reason_ you're here?"

Itachi stopped and looked over at the blonde, "Oh great, it's you: the dumbass bartender that likes to handle situations using second grade tactics"

"Hey, I didn't tell you to walk up to the bar now did I, un?"

Itachi went back to his previous task and started glancing at the titles of the books, "Whatever"

Deidara walked over to the Uchiha and stood beside him, "So why _are_ you here?"

"My business is my business"

"According to all the tabloids none of your business is just your business, un"

Itachi glanced at the blonde and looked back at the books, "I go to this school"

Deidara leaned against the bookcase, "Aren't you prohibited from attending college due to your father's order, un?"

"You know too damn much for your own fucking good; you know that?"

Deidara shrugged, "Just asking"

"…I'm coming here without my father's knowledge; I deserve the right to a college education to be what I want to be in life"

"That's true, un"

Itachi pulled off a book and sat it on top of the shelf, "So why are you here? Community service"

'_Fucking asswipe, un,'_ Deidara sighed, "No I attend this university"

"Ooo, you said a big word; yay for you. Maybe if you're lucky you'll be able to spell supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"

Deidara glared at him, "Well excuse me for being generous, un"

Itachi watched as the blonde began walking away and he released a subtle sigh, "Look, I apologize alright? I'm not in a fucking happy mood; just help me find this damn book and you won't see me for the rest of the fucking day"

Deidara saw the paper Itachi was holding out and the blonde retrieved it, "Oh this book is right," Deidara pulled off a book off the shelf right next to him and gave it to Itachi along with the paper, "here"

Itachi took the book and removed the one from on top of the shelf, "Thank you"

Deidara watched the Uchiha begin to walk away, "Wait, un"

Itachi stopped and looked back at the younger one, "Yes?"

"I know that you hate me and I, somewhat, hate you but you want to grab a coffee or something tomorrow?"

Itachi thought for a moment before looking at the nineteen year old, "Coffee, yes; alright. We'll meet at The Sensational Lounge and we'll go from there"

愛

Gaara looked at his Chemistry paper, "And to think I actually passed that test"

"You have _no_ room to talk Gaara," Kiba replied, "You're smart; you're expected to earn a good grade"

Neji looked at the clock on his cell phone and glance around. It was already fifteen minutes into lunch and there was no sign of the hyperactive fifteen year old blonde. The younger one had an easy time in Literature but after that Foreign Language and Chemistry opened up a few passageways allowing students to mess with him. After Chemistry let out Naruto told the Hyuga he was going to place his books away and he hasn't seen him since. Almost deciding to call him Naruto arrived in front of him in a new set of clothes: beige baggy jeans and a black T-shirt.

Neji raised an eyebrow, "What happened?"

Naruto placed the black hoodie on himself and sat down, "I got jumped," Naruto wrapped his arms loosly around the brunette and placed his head on the Hyuga's chest, "While putting my things away Sasuke and his rancid gang decided to lock me in one of the showers in the _girls' _locker room. I was in there for ten minutes before I was let out by some girl"

"Well at least you're out; that's what matters?"

Naruto nodded before placing his heard back down. Naruto knew Sasuke planned what happened to him. The blonde could feel his anger rising even though fatigue was clouding his mind. Outside of school Naruto knew he wouldn't see eye or hair of the young Uchiha but within school walls it displayed pure humuluations and Naruto desperately wanted out though Naruto finally figured out. Soon after Naruto came up with a reason why his classmates were being more inconsiderate towards him; it was Monday.

* * *

Yeah, Naruto hates Mondays too (that was the reason behind the last three words). So tell me what you think while I keep on working!

Up next: Sasuke is assigned a tutor

Later: Itachi and Deidara go get some coffee and take a walk (the first stop into creating their relationship)


	5. The Raven Student and the Blonde Tutor

God this site is starting to piss me off! It's either the site or my internet that took forever to get the chapter up. Anyways here is the next chapter where you will learn two things: 1. A few facts about European History and 2. that Naruto possesses an allergy which I STRONGLY suggest you remember because it _will_ appear again (and don't laugh when you see what he's allergic to; if you find it funny just remember it's more serious than it appears). Enjoy!

Japanese character: time skip/break

* * *

_Chapter Five: The Raven Student and the Blonde Tutor_

Neji looked at the closed door on the bathroom stall and produced a frown, "Naruto…please come out"

"No! I'm not coming out!"

"But you'll miss seventh period"

The tears ran like waterfalls down Naruto's face, "I don't care! I'm not coming out! What they did last class was just plain cruel!"

"I know babe but what do they know? Come out…please?"

After a few seconds the stall door opened revealing the blonde with deep red rashes completely covering his natural sun kissed skin. The Hyuga could see the fresh tears that were coming down the Uzumaki's face. Last class period was going just fine until the last five minutes of class. Gum was a food that people constantly chewed on to the point they could making a hole in one of their teeth if they wanted to. Some of Naruto and Neji's classmates craved this food claiming it was a necessity in order to help them get through the school day.

During the last five minutes of class Sasuke approached the hyperactive blonde with an indecipherable expression on his face and held out a packet of gum. Naruto found this highly suspicious at first for the boy has never offered him even a pencil during their time together in the academic world. Since it was there even though the two never talked, Naruto took a stick of gum and began chewing it. With the action of chewing followed a wave of ultimate laughter. Naruto didn't pay much attention to the uproar because soon after he began chewing he became fairly occupied with scratching his body which only produced more laughter.

Soon rashes began appearing all over the blonde's body and this brought tears to his eyes as he ran out leaving a fairly worried Hyuga and a room full laughing teens. Somehow the Uchiha figured out that the Uzumaki had a high allergy towards hot sauce.

Naruto's hot sauce allergy was discovered when the blonde was only five years old. One day while walking around the house Naruto entered the kitchen and decided to get something to drink. While trekking towards the refrigerator the Uzumaki stopped near a part of the counter and saw a bottle of Tabasco hot sauce. Getting curious about what this mysterious red liquid was the blonde went over, grabbed the bottle, and opened it. He placed exactly five drops on his skin and two drops in his mouth. About nearly three minutes later he was scratching himself and was crying.

The doctor was unsure of how Naruto developed such an odd allergy even when no one in his family had such an allergy. The situation perplexed him and the case still puzzles him to this very day. It was assured that once Naruto reacted to the allergy the rashes would go away within the next forty minutes.

Neji ran his hand through the boy's hair, "It doesn't look as bad as before; it should be gone in about twenty minutes"

Naruto wiped his eyes as he looked at his boyfriend, "Why are they so mean to me…?"

Neji gave a dreadful sigh, "That's the world of popularity Naruto; the world that I'm a part of but don't take part in"

"I think the girls are doing it because they think I made you gay…"

"I told you not to worry about those girls; they don't control what I do in my life. As for why most of the guys are taking part in it is because they just don't like the fact I'm with you; they're waiting for me to separate from you so they'll feel victorious and what not"

Naruto sat down with his back against the tiled wall, "Life is so cruel…"

Neji gave him a warm smile as he sat on his knees, "Yeah I know but with your personality I know you'll get through it"

Naruto gave the Hyuga a huge smile, "You always know the right thing to say…"

愛

Umino Iruka looked at his class, "Odd, is Naruto sick today?"

A few snickers filled the room and Sasuke smirked a little, "No, he's just skipping for some unknown reason"

Neji walked into the classroom with the blonde by his side, "Sorry Iruka-sensai, Naruto had something that needed to be taken care of"

The Uchiha looked at the brunette, "No one wants to know about what you two do in your spare time"

"Heaven forbid whatever you do in your spare time," the Hyuga sat down and Naruto sat down next to him in utter silence

Iruka shrugged and leaned against his desk, "Okay let's discuss briefly the next section shall we? The next piece of European history we're getting into is the Holocaust"

Shikamaru's expression appeared as one of disgust, "The Holocaust? You know how disturbing that topic is?"

"I know, it places horror and disgust within everyone whether they believed it happen or not"

"I don't think it happened," Sakura stated, "I mean really, no one can be THAT inhumane towards the human race"

"It did happen!" Naruto exclaimed, "It happened during World War II"

Iruka walked up to the white board and began writing, "Very good Naruto, it did happen during World War II"

Sakura scoffed, "There's no way this thing even happened. I mean how can anyone banish so many Jews out of one country? It's completely impossible"

"Not for the Germans it wasn't," Naruto took the hood off his head, "During this time Germany was a leading power when it came to the war. During World War I they were forced to pay reparations for their damage but their attack on Poland began World War II. Once Hitler was in power he blamed the Jews for all wrong doing and chaos that was going one during those years the war went on. With how advanced Germany was at this time they were able to do just about anything"

"Euro freak," were the words mumbled by Sai

Iruka turned to the class, "He's exactly right Sakura, Germany was a major power during both World War I and World War II. We'll get into all of those events two weeks from now. Our current section that we're discussing is the Cold War. Did you all do your homework?" Iruka watched as the students pulled out their homework and his attention was focused on Sasuke, "Please make my day"

Sasuke raised his eyebrow and shook his head, "I don't think that day will be coming anytime soon Iruka-sensai"

Sai watched Iruka go around the room to collect the papers and he looked at his friend, "You _are_ aware that you're failing this class with a 34 F don't you?"

"What do you mean 34 F?"

"You actually got a few points on the last two quizzes and our tests from all that guessing you do"

Sasuke shrugged, "I just don't understand none of it; I've tried just about everything: notes, reading; I even tried the Internet"

Sai gave a puzzled look, "How is it that you take perfect notes and you can't even manage to accomplish at least a 60 D?"

"I already told you, I don't understand any of this shit nor do I even want to attempt to understand the gibberish within those damn pages; I plain out refuse"

Sai looked back at the Uzumaki before turning his attention to the Uchiha, "I really think you should get a tutor; knowing your brother fairly more than I wanted to know he probably already brought that suggestion to your attention. As you've told me before: your brother knows what's best for you, _not_ your parents"

Sasuke thought about that fact for a moment before sighing, "I'll just allow life to take its course"

愛

Deidara was sitting at the dining room table reading _Pride and Prejudice_ and sighed as he took a sip of the Dr. Pepper that was sitting in the can next to him. His reading focus was disrupted by two actions: the slamming of the front door and the antagonizing ringing of the house phone. Completely positive that it was Naruto entering the apartment Deidara removed himself from the wooden chair over to the phone resting on its onyx and silver stand. When he saw the caller ID he turned away from the phone not bothering to answer it and watched as his little brother stormed in throwing his backpack on the floor.

Deidara looked at the abused orange backpack and looked at the younger one, "Okay…how was school Naruto, un?"

"You wanna know how my fucking day was?!" Naruto opened the refrigerator retrieving a Dr. Pepper and he sat down in a wooden chair facing the older one, "The absolute _worst_ thing happened to me at the end of the day!"

愛

Itachi look through the accounting sheets to check for any suspicious dropped rates that could've occurred within the last three months. He remembered the last time he discovered a dropped rate and he _didn't_ want to go back to such a situation ever again in his natural born life. He heard his bedroom door slammed and turned to see his little brother with an expression of pure anger.

Itachi gave him a puzzled look, "I'm assuming didn't go well today"

Sasuke threw his bag down and sat on the bed, "Oh no, school was excellent; it was last period that pissed me off!"

"I'm fully aware of your abhorrence for European History"

"I'm talking about the very _end_ of the class!"

愛

Deidara shrugged, "Okay, what happened?"

Naruto popped open the can, "Okay, Iruka-sensai handed our test papers back"

"And what did you get, un?"

"100 A of course, no less"

愛

"A 21 F"

Itachi sighed, "Can you at least _attempt_ to make an actual _logical_ guess while you do those test and quizzes?"

Sasuke stood silent for a moment and looked at his brother, "Nope"

"…Whatever, so what happened at the end of school?"

愛

Naruto released a frustrated sigh, "So after Iruka-sensai collected our homework we discussed the Cold War"

Deidara raised an eyebrow, "Okay, what's wrong with that, un?"

"That's not the problem Deidara!"

愛

"Then what's the problem Sasuke?"

"Well after the bell rang to end class Iruka-sensai instructed me to stay after class. So he was explaining to me how I was failing the class with a 34 F and that I required a tutor in order to help me achieve at least a C in the class"

Itachi leaned back in his chair, "Please tell me that's the horrible news"

"No, it's not Itachi"

愛

"I was called over the intercom to report back to Iruka-sensai's room so I told Neji to wait outside for me"

Deidara leaned against the counter, "And then what, un?"

"Well I went into the classroom to see Sasuke"

Deidara gave his brother a puzzling look, "Sasuke?"

愛

"Who in the fucking world is Naruto?"

Sasuke bit his bottom lip and growled, "…He's my tutor…"

愛

Naruto ran his finger down the side of the Dr, Pepper can, "He the student I'm tutoring…"

Deidara smiled, "That's great, un"

"Great my ass; do you have any idea what he did to me today?!"

愛

"I caused him to have an allergic reaction"

Itachi's eyes widened, "Sasuke that isn't funny"

Sasuke smirked, "Me and many other people thought it was"

"You do know if his parents complained that you're going to be in deep water with Mother and Father"

Sasuke's smirk disappeared, "That's not the point Itachi; I'm stucking with a fucking idiot as a tutor!"

愛

Naruto placed his head on the table, "Why must life be so unfair?"

Deidara looked at the phone and back at his little brother, "Because it's demonstrating that you can't have everything you want, un"


	6. Signs

Wow, this story is doing good! Okay so now we're switching over to Itachi and Deidara where they're going to have their walk. I had a different version of this but my computer was gay and deleted it so I had to start over. I tried to balance it so that there was not too much description but not too much dialogue either. So without further or do let's get into this chapter!

Japanese character: break/time skip

* * *

_Chapter Six: Signs_

A beautiful Tuesday morning erupted from beyond the horizon and the nineteen year old opened his eyes. Deidara's cerulean eyes stared out at the golden sunrise that was behind the grand city of Tokyo. The older one sat up and stretched his arms out. Even though the beginning of a gorgeous day was beginning outside Deidara was filled with guilt. He had to sneak past Naruto last night so the younger one wouldn't see the fresh scar he received from Sasori on his right arm.

Not wanting to remember his actions from the early hours of the morning Deidara removed himself from the bed and departed to the bathroom where he undressed and stepped into the navy tiled shower. The blonde turned the solid gold handle allowing water to fall on him. Deidara leaned his back against the shower as the warm water trailed down his body. At times Deidara wondered how his mother died seeing as how it was just so sudden.

He could remember the exact day and time his mother passed away. Deidara could still hear the pouring silver rain that pounded into the earth during that dark night on April 14 those many years ago in his mind. That night he and Naruto were running to get back to the house because the two brothers went out for a walk through the park.

When they entered the apartment the two of them watched as their mother fell over and landed on the wooden floor. Her eyes were open and her pupils were dialated. At that moment everything Deidara believed in when it came to the ultimate description of pure happieness faded away once he figured out his mother was no longer breathing the natural oxygen in the air. The first sounds that entered the room during that time were Naruto's cries when their mother didn't answer them. Deidara, however, stood there with an emotionless expression and felt as if he had died just the same even though he was still breathing.

When the next day came Deidara wanted to know how his mother died. He eavsdropped on the conversation his father was having with the doctor to hear that his mother died from natural causes. A simple heart attack was what the doctor said. That was the first moment where Deidara swore saying that the heart attack theory was a load of absolute bullshit.

To this very day the nineteen year old still believed the theory is pure bullshit. He knew his mother pretty well and for her to have a severe, let alone impromptu, heart attack was completely illogical. Deidara knew there was more to that death and no damn heart attack was involved.

Deidara turned the water off and exited the shower wrapping the onyx towel around his waist. The blonde looked in the mirror and ran his tan hands through his golden hair. He glanced at the long, bloody wound that was placed on his right arm with the filthy knife Sasori picked up from the table. Deidara would've fought back _if_ Sasori didn't give him a dose of heroin _before_ he decided to make the wound. With such a powerful drug lowering your will to move when you want to the chances of him dodging such a wound didn't exist. To avoid a serious staph infection he treated the wound immediately when he got home.

After brushing his teeth Deidara exited the bathroom and grabbed the white roll off his end table. He bandaged up his right arm and got dressed in black pants, a white, silk button shirt leaving the first three undone, and a black zip-up hoodie. The nineteen year old grabbed the box of cigarettes and his lighter off his dresser and stuffed the items in his pocket. He placed his hair in a high ponytail and allowed some of his hair to cover his left eye.

Deidara departed from his bedroom and descended down the staircase to see Naruto opening the door, "Have a good day at school Naruto"

The younger one turned around to his older brother, "…It's not infected is it?"

Deidara felt his guilt grow more, "No…it's not…"

Naruto ran up to the older one and hugged him tightly, "Why…? Why do you feel that you need to sneak past me when you're hurt…?"

Deidara could feel tears coming to his eyes, "One of us has to be strong right…? I'm sorry Naruto; I just don't want you to worry about me constantly"

"I can't help but worry…"

Deidara gave the younger one a small smile, "Cheer up; remember that your birthday is next week, un"

The statement placed a huge smile on Naruto's face, "You're not going to work that day right?!"

"Absolutly not, un. You'll have me for the whole day, I promise"

Naruto looked at the clock, "Oh shit! I'm gonna be late! Bye Deidara!"

The nineteen year old watched the younger one run out of the house and he sighed. He knew he owed Naruto plenty for leaving him alone at the house so many hours at a time. With his birthday next week he already knew what he was getting the fifteen year old and what they were going to do once he was out of school. Deidara looked at the clock and decided he should head out as well

愛

Itachi was sitting at one of the tables in _The Sensational Lounge_ and couldn't understand why he even agreed to meet the blonde at the coffee shop in the first place. He concluded that it was due to the fact that it was Monday and his mind was nowhere thinking straight. In any case he agreed to be here and Itachi never went back on arranged engagements he agreed to whether he truly wanted to be there or not.

The twenty-one year old was steadily looking through the messages on his T-Mobile Sidekick to see it was the same: people sending text messages about upcoming meetings, companies that were considering merging, and new updates on rates. The same fucking normality that he was getting fucking tired of as each day passed. He saw his life as a monotonous record that would never change, would never alter, and would never modify. Itachi yearned for his life to be revolutionized in some way, _any_ way that was available to him. He constantly craved excitement but where would such a need be fulfilled? He had no clear idea but one thing he did know was that it would _not_ be fulfilled within the confinement of a bland office in some forty-six story building.

Itachi looked up from the electronic device to see the blonde in front of him, "You're late"

Deidara scratched his head a bit, "Really? I don't remember a time being set. Did you somehow create one in your mind just so you would look good and make me look like a fool, un?"

Itachi drifted away from what he wanted to do and kept his cool, "Whatever let's just-," Itachi looked in front of him to see a Styrofoam cup filled with coffee

"Judging by how you act I thought you were one of those people who has never tasted a sweet thing in his natural born life so I just got you Columbian, un"

Itachi found this to be more suspicious and creepy rather than astonishing. For one, no one, absolutly _NO ONE_, knew what kind of coffee Itachi drank. Not even Sasuke, who spent a majority of his time around the older one, knew what kind of coffee he drank. Kisame, a person who knew so much about him even from the day they met, knew what kind of coffee he drank. Itachi could not understand how some blonde could just know what kind of coffee he drank just by looking at him.

Giving the blonde a suspicious eye and grabbed the cup after placing the Sidekick in his pocket, "Thank you," Itachi took out some money from his pocket

Deidara looked at the money, "Look I know you don't want to give me the money so don't bother, un"

Itachi raised his eyebrow, "How are you positive I don't want to repay you for purchasing my coffee?"

"Because you didn't ask me to purchase it; you figure since I used my money to buy both of our coffees that it was my stupidity seeing as how you could've just purchased your own"

Itachi placed the money back in his pocket and watched the blonde stand up. He mirrored his actions and followed the blonde out of the coffee shop and down the sidewalk to the park. Itachi was beginning to have some odd thoughts about the blonde and it hasn't even been ten minutes yet. The Uchiha knew that the reason the blonde gave was absolutely accurate. In fact his explanation was right on the dot. It wasn't normal for Itachi to be paranoid about anything but he felt as if he was going a bit crazy or that this was just some pecuilar dream that had some connection with the future or something.

Deidara looked in the sky, "You really had no reason for accepting my invitation did you?"

Itachi side-glanced him, "Why would you say that?"

"It's kind of obvious, un"

"Nothing in the world is obvious"

Deidara took a sip of his coffee, "If nothing in the world was ever obvious then everyone in this world would be placed in utter confusion; wouldn't you say so, un?"

Itachi decided to take the spotlight off of him and looked at Deidara, "What's wrong with your right arm?"

"What do you mean?"

Itachi took a sip of his coffee, "It is 95° and if the temperature rises any more then you'll be at risk of suffering from a heat stroke in the middle of the sidewalk"

Deidara side-glanced the Uchiha, "How are you so sure something is wrong with my right arm, un?"

"Because you're hardly moving it"

Deidara closed his eyes, "Well you're hardly moving your right arm but nothing's wrong with it. You're just plain stiff, un"

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

Deidara drank the rest of his coffee and threw the cup away in a nearby trash can, "It means you have no life, un"

In all honesty Itachi felt like smacking the blonde but at the same time he noticed that this has been the most abnormal iyet intelligent conversation he has had in months, no, _years_. Along with that it has been the most interesting; he couldn't deny that in any way. A side of him wanted to continue on with this conversation while the other side strongly disagreed and wanted to abruptly end it with him shooting the blonde down like a common piece of trash in the street. So far that side was winning but the first side was putting up a strong fight.

"You're pretty anti-social for a person who is supposed to make it in the business world"

Itachi ignored the comment and decided to end this conversation, "You're pretty clean for a person with serious problems"

Deidara felt his heart skip a beat, "What do you mean?"

Itachi drank some more of his coffee, "By first glance you appear to be a regular, clean cut, college student. Though, if someone examined you a bit more it would reveal that you have more problems then a common insane person in an asylum"

Deidara bit his lower lip, "Well at least I'm not living off my parents' money just earn a living in the world, un"

"I don't live off of anyone"

"Right and that's why you're still living with them, un. You can't even receive a decent college education; you have to actually sneak into the college"

Itachi shrugged, "At least I'm actually using my own money to get me through college"

Deidara rammed the Uchiha into a tree and held him there by his shirt, "You don't know shit"

"Right, a bartender who drinks from a vodka bottle while serving his customers; I bet every cent you earn goes to alcohol and cigarettes"

"At least I'm not roaming around from strip club to strip club getting drunk and trying to receive love from a bunch of whores feeling me up and giving lap dances, un"

Itachi glared at the blonde and splashed the coffee on his face making him let go, "Don't you judge me over some one night encounter"

Deidara spat in the Uchiha's face, "One night my ass! Like I said, none of your business is just _your_ business anymore! Don't you realize that! Fuck, you could have another girlfriend and everyone would know about it; every single _fucking_ person!"

Itachi punched the blonde making him fall into a tree and he picked him up by the front of his shirt. Itachi just couldn't believe it. He could _not_ believe that this hotheaded, loud mouth, smart ass barteneder had the guts, the complex audacity; the absolute _nerve_ to call him out. Yes the Uchiha was angry, down right furious, completely _enraged_ with this situation but, with all his anger, he could not bring himself to hurt the blonde anymore than the punch that he just gave.

Deidara spit the blood out of his mouth and looked at the Uchiha, "Go ahead and punch me, un. Go ahead and fucking do it. I know you want to"

Itachi was half listening to Deidara. The only words he caught were 'punch', 'do', and 'want'. Everything else came as a blur. He couldn't understand why he couldn't bring himself to brutally hurt the blonde. Everything he has said from the first time he met him angered him to the core of his soul. Now when he had the perfect opportunity to inflict pain when the blonde was most vulnerable _and_ willing he couldn't do it…no…he _wouldn't_ do it.

Itachi dropped Deidara and walked away from him, "I've wasted enough time around you…"

愛

Deidara watched the Uchiha walk away from him. This particular action left Deidara astonished and utterly confused. He knew fairly well, from different signs, that Itachi would've took the initiative to beat the absolute shit out of him no matter what condition he was in. To see the Uchiha walk away so suddenly and for him to give a response so…quietly didn't fit the natural persona of the older one. It was completely unnatural which was actually scaring Deidara in a sense. He didn't want to imagine that the all over cold Uchiha Itachi was just some scared fool in the world. Oh wait…that's what Deidara was implying in his sentences. Well…sort of, but it was very close to what he was saying.

Deidara stood up and dusted himself off and felt his face. He winced and reminded himself that he would never suggest coffee again to the Uchiha. In fact Deidara was beginning to question whether he should continue on with trying to even rip the older one off. Sure the blonde has done this action plenty of guys older than Itachi and a few who were a little bit younger but something was telling him that taking the idea of ripping Itachi off would serve as something bad. Not trouble in a sense but something much deeper that Deidara couldn't quite calculate at the moment.

The blonde sat on the park bench next to the tree he landed in and released a subtle sigh. He knew the only reason he even accepted the idea of doing this was for Naruto's wellbeing. It wasn't as much as the fact of retrieving the drugs that Sasori never received. One thing that every other person Sasori employed has done was steal drugs from other hideouts of potential drug dealers. That is something Deidara has yet to do seeing as he major jobs were to perform pickups and rip off people for every cent they own. Deidara has yet to steal anything in his life and to steal drugs from drug dealers that were armed with weapons that he probably doesn't even know about scared the shit out of him and he never works well under pressure. If he ended up dead then Naruto would be in very poor shape and do something stupid. Deidara couldn't take that risk.

愛

"I say he's psychic"

Itachi messed around with the Rubix cube, "I think he's just smarter than I first presumed"

Kisame sat down at the table, "That's something I will believe; you always think that someone is less intelligent if they're younger than you. You need to remember that there are seven year olds in China smarter than you"

Itachi figured out the cube and placed it on the table, "I checked, they're one-fourth less smarter than me"

Kisame sat back in his chair, "Did you ever consider that maybe this blonde's IQ is a bit higher than yours"

"No"

"How high is your IQ Itachi?"

Itachi picked the cube up and tossed it in the air, "187"

Kisame took a sip of his coffee, "I bet you twenty bucks that his IQ is…four points higher than yours"

"And what makes you think that he has exactly four points higher?"

Kisame raised an eyebrown, "His personality shows signs of him being a total smart ass; if he has enough guts to call you out _and_ do it in a way that you couldn't catch on to until five minutes later than that means he must be smarter in some way. Now as for the reason WHY you didn't beat the crap out of him _after_ he called you out in such a way I can't answer"

Itachi looked at the yellow side of the Rubix cube, _'Even though he's a smart ass signs tell me that there's a bit more to that blonde than a load of remarks'_

* * *

WOOT! We're making our way through folks!

Next: A look into how dangerous Deidara's job is

Later: Itachi's one on one regular conversation with Deidara


	7. Risk

Okay here is the next chapter. So we see that Sasuke has a new tutor, Itachi and Deidara are...well you be the judge of what they are since the last chapter, and now we are going into a bit of something that Deidara has never done before. Trust me, more description will go into what happened to him in the next chapter when he's explaining the whole thing. So enjoy!

Also this Chishio person I'm mentioning will be appearing but she doesn't come until _way_ later so don't expect to see her popping up somewhere within the next chapters or anything.

Japanese character: break/time skip (I'm pretty sure everyone's grasping that concept)

* * *

_Chapter Seven: Risk_

"It was horrible Deidara!" Naruto whined, "My first day as a tutor and he pisses me off!"

Deidara just smiled and placed the two bowls of ramen on the table. This was the first time in about three weeks that the older one was able to eat dinner with his brother. Around this time Deidara was usually already out doing his job which left Naruto alone at home for nearly eight hours. To be with him now was more of a special moment that most wouldn't understand completely.

The older one sat down, "I'm sure he'll come around"

Naruto sighed, "No he won't; he hates me just like everyone else…"

"Neji doesn't hate you"

"He's not supposed to; he's my boyfriend"

Deidara ate some of the ramen, "Chishio never hated you"

Naruto stuffed some ramen in his mouth, "That is true…how is she doing in Italy anyway?"

"She emailed me; she said it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. She said Venice is fairly beautiful even though it's sinking each year"

The phone released its monotonous, dull ring through the kitchen causing Deidara to rise from the table and trek over to answer it. He didn't bother to pay any attention to the Caller ID for he had a huge pit forming at the bottom of his stomach. He had a pretty good feeling of who was calling him.

"Hello?"

"Deidara, I need you to take care of something for me"

The blonde looked back at his little brother before facing the counter, "Sasori I can't, un. This is the first time in a while since I've been able to eat with Naruto"

Sasori blew out a puff of smoke, "Frankly I could care less; this is important"

Not continuing the initiative to go against him Deidara stood there at the counter and listened as Sasori explained his reason for calling. While listening (or rather half listening) to the older one Deidara focused on how Naruto would feel once he placed the phone back in its proper place on the stand. Deidara could feel the guilt forming already and didn't even commit the action of walking out of the door. He hated that he constantly left Naruto here in the house but he knew he didn't have much of a choice. Until he got through college all of their income was provided by Sasori.

When Deidara took Naruto with him away from their home in Kyoto the older Uzumaki only had thirteen dollars to his name. With that money the two blondes lived off of Chocolate Skittles, ranch sunflower seeds, and Arizona iced tea for a week. For shelter the two stayed in an alley that possessed a large cardboard box and plenty of items to burn for a fire.

Around the time Deidara hit twelve years of age he began working in a fish market for a flimsy pay of a dollar and fifty cents per hour. He worked a ten hour shift that started at four in the morning and ended at two in the afternoon. For extra money Deidara would work overtime or take over someone's night shift. This habit of requiring extra money caused Deidara to have at least three night shifts a week and work overtime nearly every day. Deidara always used this extra money to provide Naruto would proper clothing and food but never bothered to take care of himself. He always felt that Naruto needed the most out of life.

When Deidara turned fifteen he and Naruto were still housed in the same cardboard box they discovered when they first came to Tokyo. It was Valentine's Day when Deidara was working in the fish market and up came a male short, ruby hair with off black eyes and a smooth, pale skin tone ordering five pounds of fresh krill and lobster for his mother to make that night. Once Deidara filled the order the only thing he received from the stranger besides money was a small smile.

It was the first time Deidara even met Sasori and the nineteen year old sighed as he remembered how he was even brought into this circuit of deceit, sex, and drugs. It was on the same day but it was nighttime and Deidara was did not feel the need to perform overtime or cover another night shift. He walked along the sidewalk and within the time span of five minutes he saw that a group of seven boys formed and they were following him. Not wanting to know why they were doing such a thing Deidara ran while they chased after him. At that point in his life the older Uzumaki was steadily trying to figure out how he was able to act on such quick and accurate reflexes. He knew he could hit and jump but remembering how he did it back then still amazed him.

Once that small speed chase was over Deidara met the ruby haired boy again but this time the boy introduced himself as Sasori and that he had a job for him. The nineteen year old still wonders why he didn't ask about what the job was before even agreeing to take the job anyway. The way he was hooked was that Sasori told him that the blonde could earn plenty of cash and that he could provide money and support for him and Naruto. On first thought Deidara was going to decline the offer seeing as how he didn't know who this person was but with the benefit of Naruto at mind he quickly and openly accepted the proposition. To this day Deidara still contemplates whether or not he fully regreted taking up on Sasori's offer.

Going back to listening to his boss Deidara's heart began to quicken, "You want me to WHAT?"

"Wow, you certainly picked up on that fairly quickly for a person drifting off into thought"

"Sasori I can't do that, un! I'll get caught!"

Sasori sighed, "No you won't; you're a smart boy, you'll be out as quick as you got in"

Deidara glanced at Naruto before growling into the phone, "That doesn't mean I won't get caught, un. What will Naruto think?"

"I'm surprised you even care about what he thinks when it comes to your job"

"Sasori-"

"You're doing it and if you don't consequences will be served"

The call ended there and Deidara released a long sigh as he placed the phone back on its stand. What started as a well night was just turned around by a simple worded order that would soon become a risky action.

"You have to leave don't you?"

Deidara turned around, "Yeah I do, un…"

Naruto frowned, "Okay…is it alright if Neji comes over then?"

Deidara thought for a moment as he grabbed his jacket, "No, I'm taking you over to Neji's house"

Naruto gave his brother a perplexed look, "Why?"

"I think it would be better if you stayed over there while I'm out tonight"

"Okay"

愛

Neji stared at the pages of his Trigonometry textbook and sighed, "This damn problem…I swear if my grades were dependent on this I wouldn't be writing any of this shit"

He would ask for help but the male Hyuuga lived alone. His parents kicked him out when he was only six years old claiming that he was a 'bad seed'. They didn't see too much potential within him and classified him as a waste of their precious energy and time. During the time he did stay there he was often told that he was plain trash and that he wasn't meant to be placed upon this wonderful earth. In return Neji just ignored them and didn't say much to his parents. The only real things he did at that time was eat, sleep, take care of daily business, and clean his room.

The house that he was living in now was provided by his grandparents and they help pay for it while Neji paid the other half with his part time job. Neji hasn't had any real contact with his parents since they kicked them out and even though he didn't much care about their actions of getting rid of him he often thought about what made them think he was plain nothing. In the past the Hyuuga felt pain about being banished from his own home by his very own parents and soon found comfort in a blue eyed blonde at school who had an energetic spirit and a heart of absolute gold.

The doorbell sounded and Neji looked at the clock to see that it was 10:30, "Damnit, who the hell would come at this time?" he stood up from the floor and answered the front door and the rage soon left his body, "Naruto, Deidara"

"I know this is a bit suddent Neji but is it alright if Naruto spends the night here, un?" Deidara questioned

Neji nodded, "Sure that's fine"

Deidara gave him a warm smile, "Thank you," the nineteen year old hugged his little brother, "I'll see you later okay, un?"

Naruto fought tears as he looked at the older Uzumaki, "Okay…"

Naruto walked into the house while Neji closed the door. The younger Uzumaki didn't want to shed tears in front of the Hyuuga because then Neji would wonder why and one thing Naruto has never done before was lie to Neji's face. He could never bring himself to do such a thing in his life, boyfriend or not.

Neji looked at the blonde, "Do you want anything?"

Naruto shook his head and sat on the brown velvet couch, "No…I ate before we left the house," he watched as his boyfriend sat down on the floor and went back to his notebook, "What are you doing?"

"My Trig homework; I'm doing the very last problem and I can't figure it out"

Naruto sat down on the floor and picked up the notebook looking at the problem, "The answer is fourteen"

Neji raised an eyebrow, "The answer is what?"

Naruto handed him the notebook, "The answer is fourteen; you added a negative by accident"

Neji worked the problem once more getting rid of the negative and looked back at Naruto, "How is it that…nevermind; I don't even want to have such confusion cloud my brain tonight," he closed the textbook and placed the materials he had out in his bag before placing it back in the corner

愛

Deidara walked down the dark alley making sure not to bump into any nearby full trash cans. Instead of bringing his car along he left it in a parking lot that was eleven blocks from where he was. He couldn't believe he was about to do this. Sasori instructed him to sneak into the main section of a drug circuit and steal as many bags of crack cocaine as he could carry. The blonde could already feel pressure weighing on him about this action. As of right now crack cocaine was doing fairly well within the circuits and it was right behind heroin, ecstasy, and methamphetamine. If he were to get caught he didn't want to even imagine what could happen to him between now and that moment.

Deidara spotted two rusty metal doors in the ground and saw that it was the entrance. Going over to them he pulled them up and jumped inside landing on pure ground. He went down the right hall going through pure darkness and stopped when he felt a door in front of him. He pulled it open and peered inside to see groups of people at different points of the room he was in. Some were down, some were moving about, and some were counting earnings from sales. The room reeked from the smell of smoke but it was a smell Deidara came to get used to since he smoked himself.

He walked in and immediately went behind a large steel gray cabinet. He went down on the floor and crawled over under a nearby table so he could have a better view of the room. He skimmed to see if he could spot any doors and he found two: one was all the way across the room and the other was only three feet away. Deidara's heart rate sped up; he knew whatever he needed was in behind that door across the room. Once no one was looking in any part of his direction Deidara moved from under the table and ran quietly behind a wooden crate. The nineteen year old looked to his right and saw that the crates were piled up and stopped five feet away from the door. Deidara stood and walked behined the crates until he came to the last pile and crouched down as he looked at the door.

The door was rusted just like the previous ones he saw before and the people near it were two feet away and they were counting money. The first thought was to create a distraction but he knew that could end up getting him killed in the end somehow but he saw this assignment as a time where any risk needed to be carried out in other to obtain the goal he was ordered to do.

Deidara stood up and pushed against the the second crate making it, along with the two stacked on top of it, fall over. He watched as the people walked over and he quickly went over to the door and entered it. Bags of crack cocaine and cocaine were piled everywhere and Deidara couldn't take too much. If he ended up running—which he saw himself doing soon---he couldn't allow anything to weigh him down. He began grabbing a few bags at a time and placed them inside his pockets and the pockets on his hoodie. He didn't need to acquire too much for Sasori's taste.

Pushing the door open Deidara could see that the people were still placing most of their focus on the fallen crates. He moved from out of the room and sprinted quietly over to the other crates to conceal his body. It was at that moment that his fears came. A gunshot rang out and Deidara looked above him to see a hole. He didn't even want to see who pulled the trigger; the blonde sprinted off through the door and ran down the dark hall with a series of footsteps following.

Ending up under the metal doors he quickly searched the area and found a metal ladder. Picking it up and bashed the top against the doors making them open and he climbed up. Not wasting any time Deidara ran down the alley and turned down the sidewalk. He wasn't going to stop or slow down because if he did it would end up being the last step he'd take, the last breath he'd make; he wouldn't take the chance.

Appearing out of the alley he was coming up to he saw three men running toward him making the pressure mount upon him. With swift thinking he switched his path and hopped over a car before taking off down the street. It wasn't before long he could hear the series of footsteps following. He knew a few bags have already fallen but Deidara was more focused on getting out of this situation alive rather than completing this assignment for Sasori.

Deidara soon felt an immense amount of body weight come upon his back and tackle him to the ground. He was caught and now conswquences were about to be arranged.

愛

Itachi has never been so pissed in his life. As if dealing with Deidara in the park wasn't enough for him during the day. When he arrived home he found his ex-wife, whom, he was pretty sure, was stalking him and his father in the living room. He knew this had something to do with the divorce and the thought made him groan before the conversation even began.

The conversation began normal discussing Itachi's final decision of divorcing Shimeta and how Fugaku still didn't approve of it but he was allowing the decision to follow through. That was when everything fell apart. The fact was brought up that the divorce was not even finalized due to the fact that ceratin issues have not been settled yet. In his mind Itachi didn't feel like leaving Shimeta a dime; not even a mere penny. He knew in his heart that she didn't deserve anything.

When Fugaku laid out the plan Shimeta was receibing the mansion that _he_ purchased, the solid, black Porsche that _HE_ drove, and eighty-five percent of the money that _**HE **_earned leaving him with only fifteen percent of his earnings and nothing more. Shimeta would receive every belonging within the mansion and this had Itachi going over the edge. He saw through this as an attempt to make the twenty-one year old orate that he made a mistake and that he would cancel the divorce. Itachi would make no such action.

He argued with his father declaring that he had no say in the matters of how the settlements were to be arranged between him and Shimeta and Fugaku was appaled that his son was even taking such a voice of authority with him. This only led Fugaku and Itachi to shout and it soon became a physical fist fight. Mikoto intervened making sure she would be struck down by one of their powerful blows towards each other and Itachi saw that he could take much more of this.

He took the arrangements Fugaku planned and tore them in half not giving them a second glance. The he yelled at Shimeta telling her exactly what he planned, she wasn't receiving a dime from him, and with that he stromed out of the mansion driving off in _his_ Porsche.

Itachi has driven around for over six hours with nothing but the city to entertain him. Releasing a small sigh something caught Itachi's attention immediately. A group of males near a line of cars on the street. They were out of the way of the moving cars but that wasn't what Itachi was concerned about. He was more interested in what they were pounding into the concrete. He exited his Porsche and walked down the line of cars stopping at the navy Mercedes-Benz that was three cars down from where they were. Itachi looked down and couldn't see much but he saw enough to make release a heavy sigh: a stroke of cerulean and strands of blonde hair. He knew there were plenty of blue eyed blondes in the world but he was fairly sure this was the one that had him all rattled during the morning.

Taking much thought into what he should do next Itachi walked over to the group of four and cleared his throat, "Excuse me"

One of the men, a male with piercing gold eyes and solid black, turned and looked at him, "Well what do you know, what's the Uchiha Itachi doing over here in a region of the city that takes no interest in him whatsoever?"

Itachi watched as the male kicked Deidara once more before turning his attention back, "That is none of your concern though I would highly appreciate if you and your three colleagues stepped away from that blonde"

The male released small chuckle and pushed Itachi against the silver Lincoln, "This isn't Business Corp. Uchiha; we do things our own way down in this part. Even a person like you should fully grasp that simple concept"

The push didn't much affect Itachi but one thing surely did, "Get your hands off me"

"Or what, you'll divorce me like your wife?"

Itachi was not in the mood for hearing another smart ass critisism about his divorce. He has received one too many in only the past few days and this was _not_ the time for him to hear another one especially coming from some stranger whom, he figured, had no kind of moral within his body. Plus he was fed up with the guy having his hands on him. Itachi grabbed the guy by throat and in one swift movement he threw him causing the male to fly across the sidewalk and end up hitting his head on the brick wall. The cracking of his skull was purely distinct and it surely attracted the attention of his three lackeys. Unlike the male, the three of them saw Itachi and did nothing but inch away so that the Uchiha would come any closer than he already was.

Itachi glared at them, "Get out of here before I have the law all over your asses," Itachi watched the three run off and looked over to the sidewalk to see that the male wasn't going to be moving anytime soon.

Walking over to Deidara he saw that the blonde was now in a heavy state of unconsciousness. He also appeared as if he was in a coma but Itachi could tell he was still alive. Perfectly curved, bloody scratches existed on his evenly tanned body and face. Black smudges also existed due to being beaten up on the street. Whatever the four males were trying to obtain either they got it or it was already long gone because the blonde had nothing on him except a wallet but no money was inside.

Itachi kept looking through the leather wallet and discovered a picture of the blonde and a younger boy who had the same golden hair, had sapphire blue eyes, and sun kissed skin along with whisker like marks on his face. Itachi sighed figuring that there was no point in leaving the blonde here in the morning. If he did the chances of him being run over within the next few seconds of him awakening were very high.

Placing the wallet in his pocket he picked up the blonde bridal style and it didn't feel as weird as he thought it would have. The Uchiha figured it was due to the blonde's unique femininity that most males never had in this lifetime. Itachi looked over at Deidara's right arm to see a long, grueling, deep scratch on his right arm that opened which was due to the four males beating him senseless. The sound of thunder was not too far away.

* * *

We all know what the sound of thunder means? So what did you all think? Good or bad? Too wordy? Too descriptive? Give me your thoughts because I'm completely open to them and if you're a flamer I highly advise you that it's a waste to place them upon me but seeing as how I haven't received any I don't have to worry much about it.

Up next: A normal conversation with Itachi and Deidara (this is probably where things might start falling into place)

Later: One of Sasuke and Naruto's study sessions (won't that be fun?)


	8. Mask

Okay everyone, first I'd like to apologize for taking so long to update. In the state of Florida there's this thing called FCAT and FCAT is horrible and then there's the NRT, THEN there's stupid stuff around school, and then there's me beta reading. Thought I pulled through and was able to pull off this chapter.

Anyways in this chapter you are going to see Itachi and Deidara where you'll see mentionings of music, books, and a few mangas. There's also a mentioning of teenagers in this which is reflected in Itachi's perspective. Now I will tell you that every book, manga, song, and thing mentioned at the END of Itachi's outburst about teenagers in this chapter is related to Itachi in some way and you will only see a connection between two during this time. Once you see the words 'They don't know' during Itachi's outburst then you need to pay attention from then on because after those words is what relates to him. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

_Chapter Eight: Mask_

Deidara opened his eyes and felt instant pain throughout his whole body. He mentally cursed at himself for he allowed his tedious pressure problem get the better of him. He could already imagine what Sasori would do once he saw him tomorrow. The nineteen year old soon realized something: he wasn't lying on the ground. He quickly shot up driving an instant pain to his abdomen. Cerulean eyes scanned his surroundings to see that he was in a room; a simple yet elegant room. The room was purely comprised of two simple colors: sleek silver and ostentatious onyx. He looked next to him to see a perfectly polished end table with a light that was evenly shaded to pure silver. Even though the room was fairly beautiful Deidara was fully consumed in utter confusion. He had no idea where he was, no idea how he got here, and no idea why he was even here in the first place. Plus his car was completely MIA (A/N: missing in action for anyone who doesn't know what that means).

"Finally awake are you?"

Deidara's heart jumped and he turned to see the famous Uchiha himself, "What are you doing here, un?!"

Itachi raised an eyebrow at the blonde, "Let's see, one, because I saved your ass tonight and two, I own this apartment"

Deidara looked around, "Where the hell are we…?"

"We are near the corner of Tanaka Way and Bonzai Street"

Deidara's eyes widened, "NO! My c-"

"My friend took care of your car; it's outside," the Uchiha stood from his chair and walked over to his dresser, "You know, you shouldn't leave your car door unlocked with your keys resting in the ignition. People could just waltz over and drive off with your car into the sunset"

Deidara ignored his comment, "Where are my clothes…?"

Itachi took out his wallet and placed it on the oak dresser, "I'm washing them; they're filthy and I definitely wasn't going to allow your contaminated clothes ruin my sheets"

Deidara really didn't feel like being here especially because Itachi was here. Even though he felt that way no complaints could really be given to this current arrangement. First, Itachi did save his life; he wasn't going to deny that. Deidara was pretty sure that he would be dead if he was out in the street with those guys much longer. Two, being around Itachi was, now, his main priority at this moment. Deidara knew that the drug Sasori wanted was a drug that would get him killed within fifteen seconds of him being caught. Deidara didn't want to steal the rest of the package so putting up with the serene yet blunt asshole Uchiha was something he would put up with. Three, it was too damn dark for him to be driving now which meant he would surely fall asleep at the wheel causing him to be in some tremendous car accident that will shake the city for about two days until they move on into another story. It probably would deal with a cat being able to name all the countries in the world.

Deidara felt hands on his right arm and he pulled away, "What the hell are you doing, un?"

Itachi gave him a blank stare, "Your wound opened again," Itachi grabbed the younger one's arm and removed the bloody bandage and began placing a new one on, "You shouldn't move around so much"

"Why do you care, un?"

Itachi finished and threw the blood splattered bandage away, "I don't actually; I just thought life shouldn't waste its time trying to make a person filled with infinite idiocy die a slow death. Life shouldn't waste its time on the weak-minded"

Deidara glared at the Uchiha, "I'm not weak-minded, un! I know good and well that I have a higher IQ than you do!"

"And what exactly is your IQ?"

"191"

Itachi went silent for a moment and spoke, "You're lying"

Deidara shook his head, "I'm truth, un. People thought it was a joke as well so they made me take the test five times before actually seeing that I had a fairly high IQ"

"…You must be hungry"

Deidara watched Itachi depart from the bedroom in silence which caught him by surprise a bit. He expected the Uchiha to say something else but instead he walked away like he did earlier today. That didn't make any kind of sense in his mind. Deidara knew that Itachi would've recanted with the normal comments he gave earlier in the day so why would the older one just leave without spilling at least a small curse?

Distracted by too much pain Deidara dropped the thoughts and picked up the silver remote on the end table. By first glance the blonde could tell it wasn't a television remote. What he thought gave it away was the fact so many buttons were in the three columns. The remote possessed a sleek appearance and was emaciated. Curious Deidara looked up from the device and his cerulean eyes landed on the onyx-silver stereo resting on top of the dresser against the wall in front of him. Pressing the bright red button at the very top the lights on the stereo lit up to a sapphire blue. Deidara traced his thumb down across the buttons until he reached the 'play' button. Pushing down on the gray button the sound of a violin playing was released into the room and Deidara noticed the song to be 'Bittersweet Symphony' by The Verve.

Frankly to hear the song playing from the Uchiha's stereo took him by surprise. He would never expect a person who was so high up in an affluent family to have a song like this in their collection of music. The blonde skipped on to hear Counting Crow's 'Colorblind'. With how the melody flowed it didn't surprise Deidara too much. Skipping through more songs to hear the following: 'Welcome to the Black Parade' by My Chemical Romance, 'Makes Me Wonder' by Maroon 5, 'Weight of the World' by Evanescence, 'Bleed for Me' by Saliva, and 'Crawling' by Linkin Park. The Maroon 5 song was a bit out of place compared to the other songs the nineteen year old heard. Generally it made no real sense; a popular pop/rock song mixed in with soft and alternative rock songs with meanings that contrast 'Makes Me Wonder'.

Deidara turned off the stereo and placed the remote back in its previous spot. Ignoring the pain in his right arm Deidara reached down and placed his hand under the bed pulling out a stack of books. Deidara picked up the first book on top which was paperback and the cover was half and half. The left side was onyx showing the title and the other side was silver showing the image on the cover. The book was titled Under the Shades. The words were written in silver and had the picture of black sunglasses in the corner of the book.

Deidara's eyes widened when he saw the title. He read the same exact book about five months ago. The book dealt with a son of a billionaire who could have anything he wanted. Though with such a privilege the son was often pressured by his parents, to always excel above, his friends, to supply them with drugs and alcohol to fulfill their cravings, and society, to be the perfect, clean-cut teenager they all known him to be. The boy always came off as this person who had no feeling for the outside world, did what everyone wanted him to do even if he didn't feel like doing so, and he always wore black sunglasses to conceal his eyes.

To see this book in Itachi's room had Deidara filled with suspicion due to the fact of what the book was about. Even though the book presented an amazing storyline filled with hardship, romance, and thoughtfulness among the main character the whole subject of the book was focus on the topic of suicide. At the end of the book the son takes his own life by overdosing on prescription pill while sitting in a bathtub with running water.

Checking to make sure Itachi wasn't coming in Deidara looked through the other books in the stack: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris, Night by Elie Wiesel, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Lee Harper.

The last four books Deidara didn't pay any mind to. All four were normal books he would expect certain people to read and with Itachi's standards him reading the books just to be reading them were fairly high. Deidara paid more attention to the other books in the stack and see how they connected with the Uchiha.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven discussed a man who died at an amusement park do to an accident caused by a rollercoaster. When he reaches heaven he is supposed to meet the five most important people in his life; the five people who had the most meaning and connection to his life. The book touched on death in general and what happens when you die. Deidara thought for a moment and thought that was what Itachi thought most about; what would happen once he left his earth. Since he thought so much the thought of dying scared him. Deidara moved on to the next book.

The Scarlet Letter was a bit confusing. The main subject dealt within the book was adultery. A baby was born by the hands of adultery and for the crime the woman bared a scarlet letter on her chest. Not making any clear connection Deidara tossed the book aside and moved over to Romeo and Juliet; a classic play about young love and the trials that the two characters overcome to be together in the end. Deidara couldn't see a connection with the book and the older one he went over to Night, completely skipping over Silence of the Lambs. Truly, Deidara _didn't_ want to know Itachi's connection to that book after the blonde saw the movie two months ago.

Night was Elie Wiesel's experience of being in the Holocaust, the travesty where Jews were exiled and placed in concentration camps where the labored for hours on end with small portions of food and worked under very strict conditions. Deidara really couldn't see any clear connection with the books and Itachi. Even with all his smarts it didn't seem too clear.

Deidara placed his hand back under the bed and pulled out another book and a stack of mangas. The blonde picked up the book and saw the title, Les Liaisons Dangereuses. This placed a small smile on the nineteen year old seeing as how the French novel was his all time favorite book. Cerulean eyes landed on the stack of mangas to see that all of them were xxxHolic. Hearing the doorknob turn Deidara pushed all the books and mangas back under the bed and sat up to see Itachi walk in with a black bowl and a pair of chopsticks.

Itachi handed Deidara the chopsticks and the bowl, "I'm too tired to cook much of anything so I hope you can settle for ramen…," he went over and sat down in the chair, "not that I really care"

Deidara raised his eyebrow, "Thank you, un"

Itachi watched the blonde eat and looked down before looking back at the younger one, "Been under my bed have you?"

Deidara side glanced Itachi, "What makes you think that, un?"

Itachi picked up the book that was shown halfway from under the bed and showed it to the blonde, "I don't like when people touch my things"

"Well maybe-"

"No, I placed them there because I felt like it. That doesn't call for you to place your hands under my bed and rummage through my books"

Deidara made no comment and asked, "May I use your phone?"

Itachi tossed the blonde his Samsung, "Knock yourself out…"

愛

Naruto kept staring at the ceiling as he laid there in the bed. Neji fell asleep about two hours ago but the blonde just couldn't enter a slumber. The thoughts of his older brother wounded or murdered kept flooding his mind making it impossible for him to do much of anything. Even with his deep concern Naruto constantly tries to keep himself from worrying about Deidara. Deidara always told him that he only lives to protect him and Naruto knew that Deidara lived to make sure he got through life safe but the younger Uzumaki wanted his brother alive as well. Naruto closed his eyes but they shot back open when a loud clap of thunder sounded outside making him cling to Neji.

The older one stirred, "What's wrong Naruto…?"

Another boom of thunder sounded Naruto hugged the Hyuuga tighter, "I didn't know there was a storm tonight…"

Neji could hear the sound of rain and stroked the blonde's hair, "It's okay," Neji picked up the house phone that was resting on its stand on his end table, "Hello?"

"Neji it's me"

The Hyuuga sat up, "Deidara what happened…?"

Deidara released a long sigh, "Not important but I'm alright…how's Naruto doing?"

"Scared to death now; there's a thunderstorm coming"

愛

Itachi watched as Deidara spoke to whoever was on the other end of that damned cell phone of his. Itachi reminded himself to change his number when he purchased a new phone so he wouldn't be pestered by the staggering calls of his ex-wife.

The call ended and the Uchiha watched younger one fall back on the bed, "Done already?"

Deidara dropped the phone on the floor, "Oh shut up, un. For once in your life at least try to not be so rude"

Itachi glared at the blonde, "I am in no such way rude; if I was then I'd comment on every flaw that I find in you"

Deidara looked away from the Uchiha, "You don't even know me; all you know is that I'm some blonde guy you just happened to meet up with in a strip club"

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Really? Are you implying that you know more about me than I could ever know about you at this very moment?"

Deidara didn't look back at him, "With all your business being publicized to the world it shouldn't be difficult to pin some facts on you, un"

Itachi crossed his arms, "You are nineteen years old, your birthday is September 15, you were born in Kyoto and moved up to Tokyo when you were at the tender age of three. You fear death, snakes, and spiders"

"I do not, un!"

"There's a spider on the bed"

Deidara jumped causing him to fall out of the bed and land on the floor, "Ow, un! That hurt you asshole!"

Itachi shrugged, "I didn't touch you so I'm not ashamed"

Deidara winced in pain as he began pushing himself back on the bed with his left arm, "Why must you be so damn cruel to people, un? You act as if the world fucking did something to you"

"It did; it provided me a horrible wife"

"I'm serous, un. All you do all day is insult people you believe a lower than you in standards when you don't know one fucking thing about them. You take so much joy out of people feeling bad about who they are when you're the one truly hurting for who knows what reason"

Itachi looked away from him, "I am in no way hurting"

Deidara pushed himself on the bed, "That's a lie, un. You're fucking reading Under the Shades"

"…And your point is…?"

"No one reads that book unless they're interested in teenage drama or they have excessive thoughts of suicide"

Itachi sat back, "Suicide is for the weak-minded who think that life is completely against him when really life is ultimate hell for everyone"

Deidara picked at his fingernails, "I guess that's why you think God is out to murder you, un. You are fucking suicidal. You simply despise teenagers no matter how wonderful some of them are. You believe they are the vilest creatures on this earth and that they're composed simply of idiocy and wretchedness. You think all they do is do drugs, commit crime, get wasted every night, and rebel against society in order to take control of the natural order so they can destroy every ounce of it"

"Because that's all what those mother fuckers do!" Itachi stood and kicked the chair causing it to hit one of his dressers, "All of those fucking adolescences ruining this world, corrupting it with their vicious drinking and poor judgment! Teenage drama my ass! Like crying over some boy or girl counts as fucking drama! As if not getting the car you want the day you get your license is the end of the fucking universe! As if not going out to a fucking party is the absolute worst thing your parents could commit! I've seen fucking four year olds with worse problems than that! The teenagers of today don't know shit about drama! They don't know what it's like to have to work their whole lives! They don't know what it's like to have to earn the shit you want! They don't know what's it's like to be stuck in a world where everything is chosen for them! They don't know what it's like to live up to their parents' expectations! They don't know what's it's like to have to cope with the most horrible experiences placed upon them caused by the person who helped fucking create their asses! They don't know fucking SHIT! The only philosophy they live by is 'eat, sleep, and fuck the world'!"

Deidara sat their spellbound and watched the Uchiha storm out slamming the door behind him. The whole outburst captivated him and placed him in a new light. Yes, he could tell that the twenty-one year old despised teenagers but he had no idea that he hated them _that_ much. Sure Itachi was an adolescence like all people were but Deidara would've never figured that the teens of today would have that much affect on a person with enough money not to even care about what time it is or what the weather was.

With the outburst Deidara could feel his heart sinking a bit. Even though he—currently—highly despised the Uchiha he couldn't help but feel some kind of sympathy for him. Thinking about all the things he said at the end it showed that Itachi wore a mask of indifference and solitude daily just to cover up all of his own issues that he has faced or is formally facing in his life. The whole having things chosen for him was something Deidara already knew about. The arranged marriage Itachi threw out was a recent example. As for everything else, he's never even heard or seen a word about it in the news or in the magazines.

Hearing the slamming of another door Deidara carefully removed himself from his bed and went over to the window to see Itachi leaning against the black Porsche he owned and taking out a joint.

Deidara released a subtle sigh, "So that's how he copes with himself"

愛

Deidara could feel something hitting him but seeing as how it was morning he didn't feel like making the effort to stop the force. He was too tired to even lift his head. He felt the hitting stop but the monotonous force placed upon him was replaced with something pushing him off the bed.

"Fuck man!" Deidara rubbed his head and looked up to see the Uchiha

Itachi felt no sympathy, "It's morning now get the hell out"

Deidara yawned and stood up rubbing his right arm, "Rude much, un?"

"Look I'm fucking tired and I don't give a rat's ass about how hurt you are not get the hell out of my damn apartment"

Deidara didn't release another word and walked out of the room. Honestly he wanted to stay because he felt that the Uchiha would be a danger to himself right at this moment but he didn't want to cause any trouble. Exiting the apartment Deidara entered his Corvette and removed a cigarette from his pocket. Lighting it he watched a car pull up behind the Porsche Itachi owned. It was just a polished as Itachi's car but it was a Jaguar and it was silver. Not taking too much time to drink in the arrival of the vehicle Deidara backed out of the driveway and drove off only seeing the driver's door to the Jaguar open as he left.

Deidara wanted to crack Itachi's mask to the point where it could never be worn again but all of the things the Uchiha does was prohibiting this puzzle to be easy. Deidara was only able to put two pieces together: the fact that his life was ran by his father and that he was suicidal. Even though both pieces were major it wasn't enough to destroy the mask. There were still more pieces he had to place together in order to figure out why it's taking Itachi so long to overcome whatever he has experienced in life and to why he's excluding himself from everyone.

* * *

That's the end of the chapter! Yes Itachi smokes pot (cigarettes must be overrated to him) to cope with himself. So is it good? Is it bad? Tell me people, I'm all ears!

Next: A look into Naruto and Sasuke's one on one tutoring sessions

Later: What happens when you mix two males and alcohol? A considered wrong that turns into an absolute right

And if there's anything you want me to beta-read just PM me! Look at my profile and you'll see what you have to deal with


	9. Holes

Okay, I'll admit this chapter is a bit sketchy. The whole holes idea isn't completely noticable but is mentioned. At first I wanted to rewrite the chapter to try to make it show more but I knew that if I started over then the chapter would've been short as fucking hell and I would've had millions of typos and problems. So if you can't see where this is tying in I'll explain:

This holes concept is talking about holes within yourself mentally and how it each hole represents a problem or something that someone is trying to deal with and how it affects them in the end. So factors of this would be like some of the things Sasuke calls Naruto and Itachi's bruises (you'll see what I mean).

* * *

_Chapter Nine: Holes_

Naruto stared out the passanger side window as Neji drove his perfect condition black Viper. The Hyuuga hardly drove the car due to gas prices so he only used his vehicle when necessary. With Deidara's condition almost cleared up Naruto wanted his older brother to stay home and heal properly rather than drive around all day delaying the close to done process. With that set in place the younger Uzumaki asked his boyfriend to drive him over to the Uchiha mansion and Neji—reluctantly—granted his request. It wasn't so much about Neji's policy with his car. It was just that he didn't like the fact of leaving the blonde with Sasuke for ninety minutes. With how the two are around one another the last thing he wanted was for Naruto to end up having another allergic reaction or to have an arm missing from the Uchiha.

Neji pulled in front of the Uchiha manor and looked at the blonde, "If you need me to pick you up early for any reason then call me"

Naruto gave him a small smile, "Alright…"

Neji placed a light kiss on his lips, "I love you"

"Love you, too," Naruto departed from the car and watched as Neji drove off

So far Naruto has tutored Sasuke for three days only to receive shit in return from the Uchiha. The blonde didn't mind tutoring the cold, devious dark-haired boy during the weekdays but when he learned that he had to do it on weekends too _that_ was what made him want to purchase a gun and shoot himself in the head. The one thing Naruto didn't want during his weekends was a load of stress after something that only lasted ninety minutes.

Seeing that he stood in the spot long enough Naruto walked up the pathway to the front door and rang the doorbell. Waiting for a period of at least ten seconds the door opened to see, not Sasuke, but a somewhat gisted version of an older Sasuke wearing a pair of black shades.

"The first person to realize we have a doorbell," was what the older person orated to the blonde

Naruto cleared his throat, "Um I'm Uzumaki Naruto…I came to tutor your…brother?"

An eyebrow rose slightly, "So you're Naruto: the one that Sasuke stated as a complete imbecile and has the embarrassing hot sauce allergy. Please come in"

Naruto walked pass the older one and looked around, "This place is truly elegant"

"Fairly intelligent words for an absolute imbecile; I'm Sasuke's elder brother, Itachi. It's wonderful to make your acquaintance"

Naruto nodded, "As well as yours"

Itachi removed his jacket from the coat rack, "Seeing as how today is a Saturday Sasuke is probably locked up in his room with his mind focused on the television and nothing more. If you knock and he doesn't answer then use the expired credit card resting on the third shelf in the closet next the room. Have a wonderful study session"

Naruto watched as Itachi walked out and became a bit skeptical about the shades but that moment was soon dropped. Seeing no signs of a parent Naruto opened the door and ascended up the wooden staircase coming to a narrow hall. Walking down the hall Naruto spotted a name plate with Sasuke's name engraved in pure gold. The blonde knocked on the door but received no answer in return. Taking Itachi's advice Naruto opened the door to the right of Sasuke's door to reveal shelves of towels. He spotted an Amercian Express© card resting on the third shelf just as the older Uchiha stated. Taking the expired credit card Naruto slid the card through the slit of the lock causing the door to open.

Naruto stuffed the card in his jean pocket and saw no sign of the younger Uchiha. Looking around the area the room was an absolute mess. Clothes were covering the floor and hanging from the bed, chair, and dressers. CD cases were in random places around the room, all different types of magazine were surrounding the foot of the bed, and tons of posters of famous bands and music artists covered the walls. So many posters existed that Naruto couldn't identify the exact color of the walls. Disgusted by all the clothes everywhere Naruto stepped carefully over the heaps of jeans, shirts, and boxers over to the chair. The blonde pushed the clothes off the chair and sat down. He looked at Sasuke's computer desk. Examining it he saw numerous numbers of soda cans and empty bags that were once filled with food. Naruto looked behind him to see Sasuke walking out of the bathroom.

Sasuke gave a smug look, "How the hell did you get in my room? Better yet, what the hell are you doing here?"

Naruto glared at the Uchiha, "I used a credit card and I'm here to tutor you"

Sasuke took off his shirt and threw it on the floor as he walked across the room, "Look, I don't go both ways so go search for a sex toy somewhere else"

Naruto felt hurt by this but he didn't show it, "Look you asswipe let's just get through the damn study session and you try to earn back the ninety minutes I spend with you"

Sasuke picked up a black T-shirt off the ground and put it on, "Whatever"

Naruto had his pride shot at. He hasn't even been in the room for five fucking minutes and the pain of the Uchiha's words was already taking affect. Even with that Naruto decided to remain strong during this session. During the last three sessions, even if he did express anger, he was weeping uncontrollably where the tears never ceased. He didn't want to have that destructive feeling within him once more; not another night.

Naruto looked around the room, "Where your book?"

Sasuke opened a magazine but repeated this action six more times while Naruto wasn't watching, "What, the great Euro tutor came unprepared? I bet it was just an excuse so you could start searching through my boxers and sniff to see if any semen is left on them"

Naruto preteneded the comment didn't create a hole in his self-esteem and began searching for the textbook. Naruto didn't like how any of this was going. Right now all he wanted was for Neji to come pick him up and save him from this rude asswipe who didn't give two shits about his favorite subject. This was going to be a long, rocky ninety minutes.

愛

Kisame gave the twenty-one year old a stern look, "Itachi, you need to go to the police"

Itachi placed the shades back on, "No I don't Kisame; I refuse to let law enforcement in on the results of that incident"

"Itachi, the bruises around your eyes are fucking huge"

"That's what the shades are for dipshit"

Itachi wasn't often rude towards Kisame. Cursing at the male was a rarity for him but not only did the bruises hurt around his eyes. He was truly pissed that this even happened but that was after the whole incident ended. Once again another hole was created within the Uchiha adding onto the numerous holes that were created. It was as if life was this large ass pencil that kept poking holes in him bringing along all this drama and all these issues. All of this hurt, this pain, this sorrow; that pencil was near close to destroying him to the point where he would have to take his own life to cease the agony he lived through.

Kisame sat back, "Still Itachi; someone's going to notice and start asking questions and I know you _despise_ people when they start asking too many questions"

Itachi sighed and took out a joint, "Whatever, I'll just have to deal with that won't I?"

"I thought you stopped doing that man"

"Some things were just meant to be a part of your life"

愛

Naruto released a drawn out sigh and sat back in the chair, "Finally found the fucking book"

Sasuke turned a page in his magazine, "Took you an hour which means you'll be here for how long?"

"…Let's just get some kind of tutoring in. So wha-"

"Look I don't give a rat's ass about the damn subject so do me a favor and get the hell out"

Naruto didn't say anything. He truly had a passion for this subject and when it was out right insulted then he felt insulted. The comment created, yet, another hole to the dozens of holes Sasuke created in him. Closing the European History book Naruto looked at the Uchiha and threw the large book. A cry of pain rang through the room which brought a ton of euphoria within the young Uzumaki.

Sasuke threw the magazine on the ground, "What the fuck is your problem you douche?!"

Naruto glared at the Uchiha, "I'm getting tired of your bullshit and you insulting me every chance you get"

Sasuke removed himself from his bed, "So you're offended?"

"No shit Sherlock"

With the comment in place Sasuke punched the blonde and kick him in the stomach making him fall back into the chair. The Uchiha figured that since the Uzumaki was so offended then he should express his anger. Watching the blonde stand up Sasuke noticed that Naruto spit out some blood before looking at him. He must have punched him harder than he thought.

Naruto was now absolutely pissed. To put up with Sasuke's comments and low ass tricks ever since third grade was enough for him to bear. Charging towards the Uchiha, Sasuke moved out of his range but this small move backfired when Naruto grabbed on the back of his shirt causing both boys to go down on the ground. Naruto took this opportunity to jab Sasuke in his jaw twice and kick his body across the room making him hit the east wall. Sasuke was quick to retaliate. After standing up he tackled Naruto and punched him seven times before making the decision to throw the blonde into one of his dressers making him knock the stereo over.

Soon both boys were doing everything in their natural power to inflict pain on one another. Hitting, punching, kicking, biting; each action served as a pencil creating a hole in the other person. Imaginary holes being placed there that would serve as many more wounds within their bodies. As for right now they were clouded by violence to see the effects that were ahead in the future.

愛

The next day Naruto sat on the bus ignoring any comments that were being shot towards him. He was still fairly pissed about yesterday and the fight he had with Sasuke left him scarred and bruised. When the bus stopped the talk about Naruto ceased and Neji sat down next to the vibrant blonde. As the bus pulled away from the stop Neji scanned the Uzumaki over.

"What happened to you?"

Naruto side glanced his boyfriend and looked back out the window, "Sasuke and I got into an altercation"

Neji raised an eyebrow, "An altercation? Looks more like the results of a brawl"

"I'm alright…"

"I knew I shouldn't have left you alone with him," Neji removed a white hoodie from his backpack and placed it on Naruto, "Why didn't you tell me?"

A tear fell from the Uzumaki's eye, "Everything just went…so…_fast_ Neji and…everything was just going on rapidly and at the end…I just couldn't face you or Deidara…I promised both of you I wouldn't fight anymore and to do it then it just didn't feel right looking at you. So that's why I walked home"

Neji wanted to be upset with this but he couldn't truly bring himself to be upset with his boyfriend. It's been a while since Naruto got into a fist fight with anyone. While growing up the younger Uzumaki had a temper problem. When people poked fun at him he had the tendency to get ticked off fairly quickly. When his line of patience was scrawny whoever spoke last was the person he ended up hurting. Because of excessive fighting Deidara often had to pick Naruto up because the younger blonde would be suspended.

The last fight Naruto had was with Sasuke in seventh grade. During this time Sasuke was still pissed with the fact that he and Neji's friendship ended and he blamed Naruto as the cause. On that day rain was pouring everwhere creating vast mud puddles and flooding various streets and roadways. The bell had rung and everyone was on their way to fourth period. Neji and Naruto were walking in one direction while Sasuke and Sai was heading in the other; once their paths crossed Sasuke pushed Naruto out in the large mud puddle that was created in the schoolyard. The brawl began and both boys were scarred and dirty due to the mud. Both Naruto and Sasuke were suspended for fifteen days each though with the damage they caused around them they should've earned expulsion but leniency was granted.

Ever since that fight Naruto vowed that he would never get into another fight again unless his life was fully depended on it or if he was saving someone from a life threatning situation. Neji knew Naruto was often a man of his word even when temptation came to haunt him but he figured that the blonde had enough of the bullshit Sasuke has given to him for eight years (A/N: I'm fairly positive that's right).

The bus stopped once more and Sasuke walked on with visible bruises on his arms and one huge one on his face. Neji had to admit to himself that the sight did make him a bit happy. He's been waiting for someone to beat the shit out of the Uchiha and it just happened to be his boyfriend who took the initiative. Naruto looked away from the window to watch the Uchiha walk by.

Sai looked up at his friend, "Holy shit, what the fuck happened to you?"

Sasuke side glanced the blonde and looked back at Sai, "I had a _PEST _problem at my house and it took me fucking forever to remove it from my home"

Naruto rested his head on Neji's shoulder, "Shut the fuck up you bastard. It was your fucking fault anyway if you hand't insult me"

"Fuck with me again and your ass will end up in a shredder"

"Excuse me, I never did fuck you thank you"

Sasuke sat down next to Sai, "You were fucking thinking it after searching through my fucking boxers"

Sakura decided to intervene, "Better watch out Neji; it looks like Naruto is working on being a slut"

Sasuke looked away, "He's already a whore; he can't degrade himself anymore"

Naruto was growing angry, "I bet you won't say that to my fucking face"

"I don't want to get to close; for all I know you could herpes or hepititas B"

Naruto looked over at the Uchiha, "I'm in no fucking way diseased"

"Right and you are not a fag"

That comment struck the chord. That was the one thing Naruto _hated_ to be called and he wasn't going allow the Uchiha to get away with the insult. The blonde punched the Uchiha in the face and that began the fight. Sasuke pulled Naruto close to him and kicked him in the face while Naruto bit his arm. The movement between the boys was so quick and powerful the fight was causing the bus to shake. Neji tried to pull the blonde away from Sasuke but the Uzumaki was trapped by the tight hold Sasuke had around his neck suffocating the blonde.

'_Just when I thought things just couldn't get any worse," _was the thought Neji produced in his mind, _'Deidara isn't going to be happy with this'_

愛

"You two truly must have it in for each other to just outright start a fight on the bus," Principal Kakashi Hatake replied as he looked at the two boys, "Was the fight that important that it couldn't have waited until you reached school grounds? Thanks to your impromptu brawl the bus almost got tipped over that would've caused a massive collision with at least five or six cars," Kakashi stood from his chair and went to the front of the desk, "With this incident I phoned your brothers to come have a talk with me"

Naruto went wide eyed, "NO! He'll be disappointed in me!"

Sasuke scoffed, "I wouldn't be surprised if he already was"

"Shut the fuck up you bastard!"

"Dobe!"

"Asshole!"

"Dipshit!"

"Asswipe!"

"Faggot!"

"That is enough out of you Sasuke"

Sasuke looked back at the door to see his brother standing in the doorway, "Well it's true"

Itachi sat down in the arm chair that was to the left of Sasuke, "I apologize for Sasuke's behavior; I thought after that last fight he had in seventh grade he _learned_ better," Itachi looked over at Naruto, "And to think the same person tutoring him is the same person he had that exact fight with. How déjà vu strikes upon this whirlwind of life"

"Sorry I'm late, un"

Itachi looked behind him, "Fuck"

Deidara looked at the older Uchiha, "Don't tell me," the older Uzumaki sat in the chair left of Naruto and looked at his brother and Sasuke, "Well I'll be damned, un. Not only do I see that this is the same person who fought my brother in seventh grade but I also see that the person who I don't get along with is the guy's brother"

Kakashi looked at the four males, "Excellent, you all know one another now normally for this I would give out an automatic expulsion since other students were clearly at risk but instead of giving that or suspension I'll give them both a week of detention where they'll be cleaning the cafeteria and all the outside bathrooms"

Sasuke looked at his principal in disbelief, "That's a fucking joke right?"

"Do you have any clear idea of how _disgusting_ those outside bathrooms are?" Naruto questioned

Itachi nodded, "Punishment accepted"

Deidara sighed, "That's perfectly fine, un. I apologize this incident has occurred"

"I apologize as well"

Kakashi nodded, "Alright Sasuke and Naruto, step outside; I need to speak with your brothers alone," watching the two younger siblings exit the room the principal turned his attention back to the two college students, "Okay Itachi I'm sure you're fully aware that your brother is currently failing European History"

Itachi nodded, "I am fully aware"

"And Deidara you have full knowledge that your brother has the highest grade in European History out of all the classes"

"That is correct," Deidara agreed

Kakashi drew out a sigh, "Well because of these two facts their teacher decided to allow Naruto to tutor Sasuke as both of you know but with how this fight turned out I don't know if it would suitable if the two remained in each other's furthur presence beyond school. It also appears that the two had a fight recently before this one probably yesterday. With so many poked holes within these two during their first three days it seems that keeping them together would result in far deeper consequences then what he recently happened. So I'm going to ask you two to decide if it would be right for Naruto to continue tutoring Sasuke seeing as how both of you are in special cases when it comes to your families. You can tell me your decision tomorrow"

"Completely understood Mr. Hatake," Itachi responded

Deidara nodded, "An answer will be given to you tomorrow"


	10. Disco Lemonade

woot! I am so sorry this took me a long time to do but I certainly got it here! Okay so if you have ever listened to Mary Playground's Sex and Candy then you've heard the term 'Disco Lemonade' before. To be honest, I still don't know what the hell disco lemonade is but I decided to use it to represent an alcoholic drink so yeah the phrase isn't mine.

So in this chapter you will see weid names of drinks and that's because I had to spend my time thinking of them so if they're lame then they are lame because I'm not even proud of any of them really. So enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Chapter Ten: Disco Lemonade

_Chapter Ten: Disco Lemonade_

Night came gracing the citizens with what it usually has to offer: clubbing, drinking, and having sex in random places. Deidara decided to take up on two of night's offers. Since he didn't have to play substitute bartender anywhere and Sasori didn't need him to do a pick up the nineteen year old decided to go into _Moonlight Sauna_, a nightclub that recently opened four months ago and has been doing great business since its debut.

One of the keys to the club's success was the assortment of drink concotions that the bartenders created themselves. From Mexican Raspberry to Blue Mountain the bartenders produced and successfully sold over eighty different concotions. The prime base drinks used were Budwiser beer, Smirnoff vodka, Puerto Rican rum, red wine, white wine, champagne, and brandy. For non-alcoholic drinks the primary bases were apple cider or any type of soda.

Besides thinking about whether or not Naruto should continue tutoring Sasuke Deidara was focusing most of his attention on how he was going to get Itachi. Itachi wasn't like all the other men Deidara had to deal with. He was much more difficult to pull in and since both males didn't really have good terms with one another the only true way to meet one another was by coincidence. So in the early stages of this sick game all Deidara has on his side was pure, deceitful luck. It could make or break everything for him.

Deidara looked over at the bar to see the person who kept entering his mind constantly. Counting this as an opportunity to enhance his chances of getting with the Uchiha the blonde walked over to the bar and sat down next to the older one.

Deidara placed on a smile, "I'll have whatever he's having"

Itachi looked over and released a groan, "Damnit I swear you're a fucking stalker"

"Excuse me, un. I was here first"

The female bartender walked over and placed the two bottles on the countertop, "Dos Budwisers"

Deidara handed the bartender a ten, "Gracias senorita"

The female smiled, "De nada muchacho guapo"

Itachi watched the girl walked away and he looked at Deidara, "What do you want?"

"First I would like to know why you're wearing those damn sunglasses, un"

"That is none of your fucking business"

Deidara ignored the Uchiha and removed the shades to see faint bruises around his eyes, "They're not too noticable"

Itachi snatched the shades away and placed them back on, "Th-"

"Trust me, they're hardly noticable, un," Deidara removed the shades and took a swig of his beer

Itachi downed his Budwiser and placed the bottle down on the countertop, "Why would you give a shit?"

Deidara gave a sigh, "I'll be honest, un. You have nice eyes and to keep them covered would be a shame. Now instead of you drinking a drab beer like you keep doing let me introduce you to a world of alcohol concotions"

Itachi soon became completely confused, "Say what?"

"¿Necesita un sustituto camarero? Deidara questioned the female as she walked back over

The female smiled, "Sì muchacho"

"Excelente," Deidara went behind the counter and looked at the Uchiha, "Now you, I will make you smile even if it kills me"

"What?"

"You need some fun in your life, un. For once don't look so serious and bland," Deidara removed a menu from a shelf and opened it, "Now pick something"

Itachi looked at the menu and up at the blonde, "This is a joke right?"

"Pick or I pick for you"

"Rhapsody Sunrise"

Deidara gave the Uchiha a smile, "An excellent choice, un"

While Deidara went to go fix the drink Itachi sat there running his fingers on the outline of his shades. He felt absolutely uncomfortable having them off even though the bruises weren't as noticable as yesterday. The confrontation with his father continuously ran in his mind vividly showing every detail clearly causing his psyche to grow weary. The yelling about the same damn divorce he didn't have too much problem with. Fugaku getting in his face made him upset but didn't cause the twenty-one year old to jump. It was when Itachi was jabbed in his right eye that caused the college student to be taken back to his younger years of being controlled and put in his place. It didn't take long for Fugaku to inflict a bruise on Itachi's left eye leaving the male to release a tear for the first time in twenty-one years. With the whole situation coming back to him two tears fell from Itachi's ebony eyes.

Deidara walked back over at looked at the Uchiha, "…Are you crying, un?"

Itachi sighed and rubbed his eyes, "No, Uchihas don't cry unless needed to in society"

"Yep that was the line used in the interview, un," Deidara placed the glass on the counter, "So what's up?"

Itachi placed the shades on the table, "It's nothing so what exactly is in this drink? For all I know you could be trying to poison me because of the outright abhorrence we have for one another"

Deidara leaned against the counter, "I don't hate you; I…highly dislike you with a passion yet I somewhat feel for you"

Itachi picked up the glass, "That elucidation sounds as if it is on the border line on despise and hatred"

"Ah but it's an elucidation of truth, un. Now drink"

Itachi looked in the glass, "I don't trust you; what's in this concotion of 'brillance'?

Deidara released a small sigh, "The base is Smirnoff vodka mixed with squeezed blueberries and raspberries and Merlot"

"Lies"

"Just drink it, un. I promise you that you won't fall over gasping for your final breath"

Itachi took a sip of the alcoholic beverage, "It's fairly sweet for an alcoholic drink"

Deidara scratched behind his ear, "Part of it is due to the fact they use fresh fruit when making the drinks instead of combining fifty different beers and wines to create one simple concotion, un"

Itachi downed the drink and placed the glass back on the counter, "Why do they call this Rhapsody Sunrise?"

"Because it's supposed to bring in a pure wave of enthusiasm within the person making them elated"

Itachi glanced at the glass and ran his finger on the rim, "That just sounds like a sophisticated way of saying that the person is supposed to become drunk within the next few seconds"

Deidara laughed, "No seriously. It's supposed to uplift the spirits, un. Get you loose"

A small smile crept up on the Uchiha's lips, "For a guy who highly dislikes me you're having a _joyous_ time entertaining me. Why the sudden change of heart?"

Deidara shrugged, "Well what's the point in staying infuriated at one another, un? Let's be real; the only true facts we know about one another are the basics: our names, our siblings, our birth information, and some of the factors we're afraid of in life"

"I see…"

Deidara lightly bit his lip, "And well…it's obvious you had some kind of fight with your father after I left from your apartment that day. He is the one who owns that silver Jaguar right?"

Remembering the bruises around his eyes once more Itachi placed the sunglasses back on concealing his eyes, "Yeah he owns it…he came over and wanted to discuss my divorce again. He was…trying to convince me to…get back with that _fucking_ bitch," Itachi's voice soon transformed into a low growl, "It just makes no…_fucking _sense. I can't fucking believe he gives two _shits_ about her but he doesn't give a fucking rat's _ASS_-"

"Woah, take it easy, un. Forget I asked…"

Itachi drew out a long sigh, "No no it's fine…I apologize…"

Deidara felt his heart sink tremendously. He was being fully honest with the Uchiha. He saw no reason to abhor him from a distance or in person because he didn't have any real reason to. So they meet one another and they spat a few blows to the point where pointing a .22 calibur doesn't sound like a horrible idea. Deidara has done the same thing with people who come over to the bar he worked at just because they didn't like him and they didn't know shit about him. At this moment in time he felt sympathy for the Uchiha.

Deidara looked at the Uchiha, "You and I are going to have some fun"

Itachi looked at the blonde, "Actually I'm g-"

"No you're not, un. I am demanding you to stay. You're a fucking mess and you're too damn stubborn to admit it, un. Now you're gonna sit here and you and I are going to try and be civil to one another while doing giving society a break from us"

愛

Itachi looked at the blonde, "You want me to die drunk"

Deidara gave a small laugh, "Oh c'mon, un. Okay we're gonna have some fun with this. Since we're practicing being civil for once in our natural lives here's what I thought of, un. You are going to drink each of these drinks. If you guess right then I'll tell you something about me but if you guess wrong then you have to tell me something about you"

"Why do I have to drink?"

"You're the one depressed, un. Now choose; choices one through ten"

Itachi picked up the seventh drink and downed it, "What the fuck. That's fucking brandy"

Deidara laughed, "Yeah I know, un. I just wanted to see your reaction seeing as how you hate brandy"

"…Whatever, now fess up"

"Okay, when I was seven years old I clogged up all the toilets in the school, un"

Itachi traced his finger down the glass, "How the fuck did you do that?"

Deidara scratched his head, "I don't know. I thought it was pure luck because that wasn't what I wanted to do. I just wanted to clog up all the toilets in the bathroom I was in, un. Anyways, next choice and I promise it's not brandy," Deidara took out a napkin with nine different drinks written in pen, "These are the drinks left"

Itachi picked up the second drink and drank half of it, "Damn…is this Tainted Sugar"

"Very good; pretty tart isn't it, un?"

"Don't remind me…"

Deidara tapped his chin, "I'm not full Japanese"

Itachi drank the rest of the drink, "Is that where that Spanish came from?"

"No I learned that Spanish, un. In my family there's a mixture of Japanese, Greek, French, British, and American"

Itachi moved the glass aside, "To me I think that might explain some things," Itachi picked up the fifth glass and drank, "…I don't think I want to know what this is"

Deidara picked up the glass and smelled it, "Tri-shine, it's all moonshine but two thirds of the moonshine is mixed in with watermelon and strawberry and the moonshine was reduced in its bitterness, un. Okay your turn"

Itachi sat back, "Well…when I was sixteen I was really pissed with my father because we had a fight. So I got drunk and took his vintage Jaguar for a joy ride. It was around three in the morning and I drove his car off the interstate into the river. After I swam out and got on land I was arrested and I spent a total of eighteen months in juvenille detention"

Deidara had a big smile on his face, "No fucking way, un! So that whole story blown up in the magazines about you getting arrested was true?"

"Every single word surprisingly," Itachi grabbed the first glass and drank, "That tastes pretty good…Sweet Red right?

"Excellent work young grasshopper, un. Hm…let's see…I set my friend's house on fire"

"While doing what?"

"Well I was ten and my friend had this candle in his room sitting on top of his bookcase. So I grabbed a tissue and placed it near the flame and of course it caught on fire, un. I went to throw it away but I missed the garbage and I ended up putting the room on fire"

愛

Itachi was a bit surprised by the outcome of this little game the blonde produced. Due to some decent guessing Itachi found out that Deidara started school late, had a tattoo removed when he was twelve, and was familiarized with the basics of binge drinking at a young age. Even though the Uchiha released more information to the Uzumaki rather than receiving more the twenty-one year old felt a bit more at ease. He figured that half of this feeling was due to the fact that he was half drunk.

Itachi picked up the last glass, "So…this is Disco Lemonade"

"That's right, un. Go ahead and try it," Deidara urged

Itachi downed the drink, "Wow…that is the best fucking drink I've ever had…"

Deidara poured him another glass and gave it to the Uchiha, "The bartenders always make at least six jugs of this stuff because of the popularity behind it"

"I can see…why it's so popular…"

Deidara caught notice of the Uchiha's slurring words and came from behind the counter, "Okay I think it's time for you to go home"

"I don't wanna go home…," Itachi grabbed the pitcher off the counter

Deidara pulled the Uchiha along out of the club, "Yes you're going home, un"

Itachi pulled away from the blonde stumbling backwards, "I…wanna stay…"

Deidara took the cup away from the Uchiha and smelled it, "Shit, un. I mixed too much vodka in here. Your not half drink, un. You're fucking wasted"

"I'm not wasted…"

Deidara sighed, "Okay stay right here, un. I need to go put this glass away and then I'm taking you home"

The nineteen year old walked back over to the bar and emptied the glass. He never expected the older one to get as wasted as he did but he blamed mostly himself for adding to much vodka in the drink in the first place along with the fact of even making the Uchiha go through that "game". Washing and placing the glass back in its original spot Deidara separated himself from the bar back near the entrance of the club to discover that the Uchiha went missing.

"Fuck man," Deidara took out the Motorola Sasori mailed to him and answered the call, "Hello?"

Sasori blew out a puff of smoke, "What are you doing? You know you're supposed to call me when you're not at work"

Deidara walked through the crowds of people, "I know but I'm really busy, un. I'm trying to find Itachi"

"Ah the Uchiha; what did you do? Get him wasted?"

"It was an accident, un. I think the Disco Lemonade pushed him up higher than I thought"

Sasori released a chuckle, "You gave a twenty-one year old son of an important business executive an alcoholic drink that causes people to see psychedelic colors and visions and develop worse poor judgment than any guy who drank over twelve beers? That's pretty _interesting_ Deidara. It's as if you _planned_ to add too much vodka in that drink or maybe you added a bit too much of the _extra_ ingredient"

Deidara looked around, "I didn't expect it to make such a great effect, un. First he was half drunk and articulate, he drinks the Disco Lemonade, voice is completely slurred, proper attitude went out the door, and the guy couldn't even stand up straight"

Sasori picked at his finger, "Have you completely forgotten what a Disco Lemonade does to a person who hardly drinks anything besides natural every day drinks and or beer?"

"…Uh…maybe"

"Disco Lemonade produces, like I said, psychedelic images. Their perfected 20/20 vision is replaced with swirling colors of bright pinks, blues, and yellows. Their balance is long left behind. Judgment exits them completely which means that they'll do _anything_ impromptu _but_ they'll remember what they do. They don't puke until during the early hours starting probably around three in the morning which causes a deprivation of sleep for about three to five hours, maybe six or seven. Any type of proper or articulate speech is long gone leaving simple first grade sentences such as 'I don't wanna leave' and fairly slurred tones that beat out a drunken bastard who gets wasted on vodka, bourbon, and scotch. In other words Deidara you've just caused the Uchiha to lose all sense of his natural ability to be himself for the rest of the night which means this can be a perfect opportunity to start paying me back for my stolen package"

The call ended there with a simple click and Deidara knew that Sasori was right. The drink was so powerful to have the whole body to be completely shut down from certain natural activities among the individual. With that in place Itachi won't remember anything he's doing until after he starts puking in the early hours of the morning where his judgment and regular state resurfaces within him. Plus this would be a start to actually retrieve some kind of money out of this situation but at the same time the risk of Itachi remembering what happens after his "journey" caused Deidara to change his mind and just get the older one in the apartment instead of the Uchiha household.

Making it through the crowd Deidara went down a hall in the back of the building to find the second door to the right opened. Walking inside the blonde found the Uchiha laying on the black leather couch with a small smile on his face.

Deidara walked over to the older one, "Itachi I have to get you home, un"

Itachi groaned, "I don't…_feel_ like…going home…Home is a fucking _bitch_"

"Itachi…"

"I wanna stay…and I want you to stay…," Itachi looked up at the ceiling, "…The room is so fucking colorful…"

Deidara knelt down, "Itachi, if you let me take you back to your apartment then I'll stay with you until you fall asleep"

Itachi groaned and turned away from the blonde, "You're lying to me…

'_Sasori was right; he's like a fucking first grader not getting what he wants,'_ Deidara turned Itachi's head so that he was looking at him, "I promise, un"

"Liar…"

"You have my word, un"

愛

Deidara never thought that the Uchiha would be so heavy due to the fact that the Uchiha does work out very often. Going upstairs of the apartment Deidara entered the Uchiha's bedroom and dragged the older one across the room to the bed; trying to get the Uchiha on the bed, however, absolutely backfired. Instead of Itachi lying on the bed the blonde ended up falling backwards on the bed and Itachi on top of him which caused a drawn out sigh to escape the blonde.

'_This guy is so fucking heavy…what the hell does he eat all day that causes him to be heavy even when he works out?'_ Deidara pulled himself up a bit, "Itachi, please get off me, un"

Itachi hugged Deidara tightly, "You promised you wouldn't leave…"

"But you need to get off me. You're too damn heavy, un"

Tears fell from the Uchiha's eyes, "You think I'm _fat…_"

'_Oh Lord help me please, un…,'_ Deidara patted the older one on the back, "No, un. I don't think you're fat. I'm just saying you're heavy and I can't have you sprawled all over me like this when you're in this state"

Itachi laid his head on Deidara's chest, "You don't like me do you…?"

"Well…there's nothing wrong with you, un"

"Don't lie to me…it's alright if you don't like me…no one ever did anyway…"

Deidara looked at the Uchiha, "Really, un?"

"People would never talk to me…everyone thought I was a walking sin…that I was a manipulative wretch…people thought that I was a freak because I isolated myself from everyone…I couldn't make friends…guys didn't want to know me because their girlfriends always hung around me…and girls hated me if I didn't choose to go out with them…so I kept to myself…"

Deidara was a bit surprised to even hear that coming from the Uchiha. Normally when a child is rich people flock around them and become money hungry. To know that the Uchiha never earned a decent friend while he was growing up was astonishing.

Deidara rested his head on the pillow, "I'm sorry to hear that, un. You're not really a bad person. Sure you're a smart ass mother fucker from time to time but you're a decent guy…"

"Liar…"

"I'm serious, un. So you're an asshole but you're a genuine person and that's all that matters"

Deidara felt odd talking with the Uchiha like he was doing. It wasn't the fact that the Uchiha was drunk but it was how they were conversing. Instead of bashing blows at each other's lives and character they were having decent conversation learning about one another. To just be talking to him like this was weird yet Deidara felt very pleased with the matter. He just wish that the Uchiha wasn't drunk during this progressive moment they were, somewhat, sharing.

The blonde was disrupted from his thoughts when he felt something on his lips. At first he figured it was a bug due to how light the touch felt. The initiative what to swat it away but soon he felt a small breath on his lips and realized that it was Itachi which scared him for one and two, it felt really good. Deidara soon watched as the Uchiha stopped and soon fell asleep.

Deidara touched his lips and looked down at the older one, "A light kiss from a drunken bastard, un"

愛

Kisame waited outside the Amethyst High Boys' Bathroom and looked at his watch, "You almost done Itachi?" the blue-skinned man heard more vomiting and scratched his head, "And you wonder why I won't let you drink anything but beer and wine"

Itachi stumbled out of the restroom panting heavily, "That was the _worst_ night of my _fucking_ life," he followed Kisame down the hall, "I can't believe I let that damn blonde get me drunk and to top it off I fucking kissed him"

"So you went gay for a moment and you were drunk. Big whoop; at least he didn't do anything like stab you, shoot you, mutilate you, sodomize you. Be lucky it was the blonde and not some random stranger"

Itachi opened the door to the principal's office, "Who knows; he would've been crazy enough to do it," Itachi walked inside to see Deidara and Naruto sitting in two chairs to the right and Sasuke sitting in one chair to the left, "I apologize for my lateness, I had other…predicaments to take care of," Itachi sat down next to his brother

Kakashi shook his head, "No, it's fine. So have we come down to a sole agreement?"

Deidara nodded, "Yes we have, un"

"And that is?"

"Naruto continues to tutor Sasuke regularly"

Sasuke looked at his brother, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Naruto started whining, "Deidara…"

"Though the days will need to be changed," Deidara added, "I will permit Naruto to tutor Sasuke on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and days that are before upcoming tests for cramming sessions if needed"

Kakashi nodded and looked at Itachi, "Is that alright?"

Itachi agreed, "Perfectly acceptable"

"Okay then we are done here; Naruto, Sasuke, report to class immediately and do it to where no physical contact or words are involved"

The four males rose from their seats and filed out of the office. The younger siblings went to the directions of their first class and Itachi stopped Deidara from walking.

The blonde stared at him blankly, "What?"

"You planned on making me drunk didn't you?"

Deidara shook his head, "No you got it all wrong, un. You see, I haven't had a Disco Lemonade in a while and I completely forgot about the effect that it has on a person. I truly didn't mean to do it and I apologize, un. Had a feeling you'd remember everything that happened"

Itachi looked at the blonde and walked past him, "Whatever"

"You're not ashamed are you, un?"

Itachi stopped and looked over his shoulder, "Ashamed of what?"

Deidara walked over to him, "Of what happened last night…I know you know what happened, un. I'm pretty sure the action was done because of your drunken state but even so are you ashamed of yourself that you kissed a guy, un?"

Itachi knew what question the blonde was asking. It was a straight-forward question. The problem was that he didn't know how to answer the question. Itachi had a strong feeling that the blonde was gay for a while and he figured the question was a dead giveaway. Though Itachi didn't feel completely ashamed of what he did. In fact he didn't see the need to feel ashamed that the action happened at all and it had nothing to do with the fact that he was drunk. He didn't know whether to say yes and lie to the younger one's face or to say no and come out with the truth like he always does.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to, un," Deidara walked past the Uchiha, "I was just asking to see"

When Deidara was far away from the Uchiha Kisame came over, "Okay, now I'm asking you; do you feel ashamed?"

Itachi stood for a moment and began walking, "If I said yes then I would be lying through my teeth"

* * *

Aww...small feelings forming! And Naruto gets to continue tutoring Sasuke! Now was it good? Bad? Not enough? Too much? Speak your mind!

Next: Naruto and Sasuke's afterschool punishment (won't that be interesting)

Later: Music and Melody- with Itachi and Deidara (this is going to be something like a Romeo and Juliet thing...sort of)


	11. Inconsiderate Words, Incandescent Warmth

What up everyone! This chapter really had me stumped. I had at least four or five versions and I finally got one that seemed right. I also had to change the title of the chapter a bunch of times lol. Anyways after a long time I have finally finished chapter eleven. Okay in this chapter there are insights of Sasuke and Naruto's detention and short inserts about Itachi and Deidara. There is also a look into Neji's and Naruto's relationship towards the end. This is also my longest chapter so far which I am very proud of! Yay me! So here we go everyone: here's chapter eleven!

* * *

_Chapter Eleven: Inconsiderate Words & Incandescent Warmth_

Naruto was sitting in Neji's car still contemplating the actions that got him the detention straight from the scorching depths of mother fucking Hell. Naruto would've been exceptionally happy with a ten to fifteen day suspension instead of having to mop grimy, disgusting linoleum floors next to a bastard who wanted nothing more than to see the blonde go down in absolute ridicule. The young Uzumaki felt like committing suicide with whatever sharp object he could obtain at the moment from his boyfriend's car. Right now suicide was winning against spending another day next to that wretched beast who simply fed off of everyone's humiliation.

Yet at the same time Naruto felt entirely guilty that his actions were even taken in the first place. With his vow broken he felt that he completely displeased his older brother. Naruto knew Deidara was angry with what he did because the older one has yet to speak to the younger blonde which really scared Naruto. He didn't want Deidara to shun him for what he did even if he did deserve. Besides Neji the older Uzumaki was all Naruto had in this world to converse with. At the same time, Neji was upset as well but he was a bit more forgiving; staying angry with Naruto was not a normal task carried out by the Hyuga.

The driver's side opened and Naruto looked up to see Neji, "Well…?"

The Hyuga sighed and sat back, "It was _not_ easy…but I got Principal Hatake to cut back on the detention; instead of the full week you and Sasuke have only one more day after this"

A huge smile was pasted on the blonde's face as he kissed the older one, "You're a life saver! I love you!"

"Yeah I know but you owe me big Naruto. Frankly the punishment didn't truly fit the crime but it was the closest thing that would be considered a damning sentence. Be lucky I was able to even talk you out of it"

The smile faded away and Naruto slowly nodded, "Yeah I know…you know I can control myself Neji it's just I can't stand that evil son of a bitch"

Neji nodded in agreement, "Oh I know it all too well; how about this? If you last this detention for today without lashing out on the fucker then we can go see that movie you wanted to see"

The blonde gave a small smile, "That would be great," the Uzumaki stepped out of the vehicle, "Bye Neji; I love you"

"Love you too now remember; I'll be right out here to pick you up"

"I'll remember"

The blonde ran back into the school and made his way to the cafeteria. The whole cleaning up detention stunt seemed just as bad as expulsion to the blonde. One thing Naruto knew about this school was that when it came to lunch the unsanitary side of most of the students was revealed through the numerous amounts of wasted food and half-filled soda cans that somehow made their way to the ground, left on the tables, or outside as a stain made on someone's car. The students would leave all sorts of things behind besides the items they obtain from the cafeteria originally. They would leave socks behind from who knows where, they would leave bottles filled with some sort of concoction made from God knows what, and used condoms that derived from some very disgusting people who believed the cafeteria tables and walls were a perfect place for satisfying their needs.

The outside bathrooms were a different story. The bathrooms that existed within the school were always spotless. Beautiful linoleum floors and perfectly polished granite counters graced those glorious bathrooms. The outside bathrooms were places where people felt more content and less guilty about destroying school property. The outside bathrooms were ultimately disgusting by all means. A repulsive smell lingered and changed daily depending on whatever someone did within those bathrooms. The toilets were usually filled with odd items such as dead rats that derived from some place not near the school, textbooks from other high schools, and puke that has sat in the water for over three weeks at the least. The point where Naruto made sure he separated himself from those bathrooms was the day he discovered numerous used and new condoms stuck on the walls of a stall.

The blonde shivered as he thought back to the incident and he entered the cafeteria to see his principal, "You are an evil man"

Kakashi looked up from his book, "Well if you didn't endanger students such punishments wouldn't be given"

"I would've completely settled for expulsion"

The man smiled behind his mask, "Yes I know, that's exactly why I gave you two the task"

The Uzumaki frowned at the authority figure, "You do this every single fucking time! Every time there's a huge school function you pair us together, every time you call me to see you for some wild reason you call him as well! What have I done to deserve you making me have to be around that damned son-of-a-bitch for all my school days?!"

Kakashi shrugged, "For all you know I probably think he's gay or something," the authority averted his gaze away from his book to see the Uchiha of the conversation, "Ah, Sasuke, so nice of you to finally join us in this vast facility of cleanliness"

Sasuke glared at the principal, "I fucking hate you…mother fucking bitch ass cocksucker"

Kakashi shrugged, "Oh well, doesn't hurt me," he walked past the two adolescences, "Make sure that this place and those bathrooms are perfectly spotless before you leave"

When the authority was gone Sasuke sent a cold glare to the blonde, "This is _your_ fault"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "_MY_ fault?! You're the one who decided to open up your fucking mouth!"

"And you're the one who decided to throw the first fucking punch like the imbecile you are," Sasuke grabbed a broom and tossed it to the blonde, "So start sweeping dipshit"

"Fuck you asswipe"

愛

Itachi entered his apartment and threw down the three textbooks in his current possession to the place he thought they deserved to be at the moment: on the floor. He took off his jacket and tossed it on the floor as well when he was honestly aiming for a chair that was sitting against the west wall. He entered the living room and fell back on the onyx couch that gave a clear straight view of the television.

"Aw, you look so adorable when you're all tired out from being educated"

Itachi looked to his immediate right and saw Deidara walking out of the kitchen, "What the _hell_ are you doing here? Better yet, _HOW_ did you get in here?"

Deidara shrugged and took a bite out of the sandwich he made, "Well I picked the lock with a spare pin I discovered on the floor in the hall," he sat down on the smaller couch, "As for why I'm here I wanted to see something"

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Okay, before I call the police and report you for b--"

"You won't call the police on me"

"And why won't I?"

"Because you're just one of those people who don't even give two shits about the police which is due to the fact that you don't trust them. Plus you know it's completely unnecessary to call them"

Itachi glared at the blonde, "And why are you eating my food? You have no right to eat my food"

Deidara rolled his eyes and tossed the sandwich in the nearby trash can, "There, happy, un?"

"You just wasted perfectly good food"

The blonde released a sigh, "Okay I didn't come here to talk with you; I came here to test something"

"And what would that be?"

In an instant the only thing Itachi felt was a tackle to the ground and pair of lips covering his. Now when he thought back he was in this situation before; the only differences was that he was drunk which technically means he didn't mean to do what he did but at the same time he didn't regret it.

Itachi, at this particular moment, felt like grabbing the nearest object and try to murder the blonde for doing what he was doing. Though, at the same time, he was _enjoying _this moment which both freaked him out and didn't surprise him. When he saw the blonde cease his action and get up all he did was stare.

Deidara raised his eyebrow, "Wow, you're just going to sit there, un?" With that Deidara found himself pinned against the wall by the Uchiha, "Did I hit a soft spot?"

"Why are you fucking stalking me?" Itachi glared at the blonde, "What is it that you _want_ from me?"

The Uzumaki looked at the older one intently, "Why didn't you hit me on that particular day? You spare no one you feel absolute abhorrence towards especially when the person is a blonde. You had a clear hit, I was begging for it; why did you walk away?"

Itachi let go of the blonde, "I wasted my precious time that day messing with you; there was no need to waste anymore"

"Bullshit, that's what that is. You _hate_ me with a passion, un! No matter how much time you have you shouldn't care because you _hate_ me! You don't give a damn about your job, you don't give a damn about people, and you definitely don't give a damn about your life, un! So don't give me so bullshit answer about time when you don't give a damn about such things! When you want to give me a _real_ answer as to why _you're_ the one acting weird then trust me, you will be able to find me"

The Uchiha stood there as the younger one passed by him and departed from the apartment. Itachi knew there was a specific reason why he couldn't bring himself to harm the blonde that day. He just didn't know what that reason was. Yet now he had another question on his mind: why did he feel so different around Deidara?

愛

Naruto and Sasuke stared at the entrance to one of the outside bathrooms. They didn't know if the restroom was classified for boys or girls because the door didn't specify. The door was decorated with graffiti that was in different colors and various types of chewing and bubble gum. Weird brown spots were spread out among the dingy ivory paint and specks of the dried up paint were falling on the ground.

Naruto looked over at the Uchiha, "So…you gonna go in first right?"

Sasuke looked back at the blonde, "The hell I'm going in first; you're going in first"

"Why do I have to go in first?"

"Because you're a blonde and blondes are plain dumbasses at birth. If you walk in and I hear you scream it tells me it's not safe," Sasuke gave a small shrug, "That gives me a reason not to go in"

Naruto rolled his eyes and looked back at the Uchiha, "How about this: you open the door and we _both_ walk in"

Sasuke gave a shrug so Naruto took it as an agreement on the older one's part. The Uzumaki watched as the Uchiha lightly pushed the bathroom door open only to see the door break right off the hinges and fall to the ground leaving Sasuke to stare at the flimsy piece of wood. Glancing at the piece of wood Naruto followed the Uchiha inside the massively infested restroom. Both boys became exceptionally nauseous and tried to refrain from gagging and vomiting on the tiled floor.

The teens pulled in the cleaning supplies needed for the job and looked around. They really didn't know where to start. The result of the outside restrooms being torn down would resolve the problem much quicker.

Sasuke threw a rag at Naruto's face, "Okay dobe listen up, you're going to start with the first four stalls and I'll take the last four stalls"

The Uzumaki removed the rag from his face and retrieved a mop and a bucket, "Fine"

The two males went their separate ways. Naruto entered the first stall and heard a soft sound created by his foot. Glancing down at the floor the blonde lifted his foot to see a puddle of vomit that he presumed to be at least three days old. Trying to ignore the disgusting sight Naruto began cleaning. He dipped the mop into the soapy water and pulled it out starting to clean up the vomit on the floor. As he mopped he glanced at the walls of the stall and looked at some of the writings that the students posted. Some of the things written on the stalls were constant remarks about Naruto being gay.

That was how the perpetual motion of harassment began. Someone had confronted Naruto about being gay after it was written in a bathroom stall in fifth grade. In the beginning the blonde adamantly denied it to avoid future ridicule. Once students found out Naruto and Neji were dating any type of harsh ridicule was formally directed towards the Uzumaki. He was constantly blamed for "turning" Neji gay when really Neji knew he was gay since he was six years old.

A majority of the ridicule produced was created within the mind of Sasuke. When his friendship with Neji ended Sasuke wanted to make Naruto pay for breaking them apart. He was one of the many students who believed that Neji was as straight as a line in the very beginning.

'_They just won't cut me a break…all I want is acceptance…why can't they give me that?'_

愛

Nighttime was Deidara's bittersweet friend. At times night would grace Deidara with a smooth ride with no worries and freedom to do as he pleased without having any weights on his back. Then there were the times where night wouldn't give Deidara a fucking break. Tonight was a time where night was feeling fairly generous and gave him time to himself for a while.

Blowing out a cloud of suffocating smoke Deidara flicked his used cigarette to the ground and continued down the sidewalk. He decided to walk seeing as how this whole Itachi scheme was, somewhat, messing up his head. His main thought when confronting him today was to get Itachi to come find him making his job much easier. Ironically the blonde felt like he should be looking for the Uchiha. When Deidara first saw Itachi's reaction to the day he had a clear shot to hit him the blonde knew that this was going to be difficult. Itachi's thought process completely differed from his and the only way to lead the Uchiha to him was to think like him and the Uzumaki never favored that game. All it did was stray him off course and separate himself from who he was.

Usually with this kind of job Deidara would use his simple, subtle charm to reel them in but one thing the nineteen year old knew when doing this was that Uchiha Itachi was neither an imbecile nor a pervert. So with those traits being absent Deidara had to appeal to Itachi in a way where the older one would be fascinated. In order to do that Deidara had to be himself around the older one: a nineteen year old college student with a devastatingly high IQ and thought much about people and life in general. Yet at the same time Itachi didn't know every inch of Deidara's life which left a gaping hole of mystery. The mystery behind his life and his intelligence were the two traits that Deidara knew he had that intrigued Itachi. The only question was this: were those two traits enough to make the Uchiha come looking for him?

Deidara turned down the path that led through the same park that he and Itachi went to when they went out for coffee that one time. When the blonde thought back to the question he asked about Itachi not punching him when he had to chance he realized he had two reasons for asking it. One, to lead the Uchiha to him and two, he honestly wanted to know. The feeling of not being punched within that one moment really did bother the hell out of the nineteen year old. He would've been more comfortable with being punched but to be simply left there without a large imprint on his face made him feel neglected in a way. It felt odd but, at the same time, made sense to him.

The blonde ceased when he came face to face with the older one, "Finally found me"

Itachi drew out a sigh, "I didn't punch you that day because I couldn't do it…"

Deidara raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean, un?"

"For some reason…when you confronted me about certain points in my life that day…some feeling screamed out telling me not to hurt you…because you were right," the Uchiha bit his lower lip, "How can I hurt you when you're…right? It's a complete waste of time for me to hurt someone who is right about my life…and even if you are a smart ass…you're just some innocent person I met in a bar. What reason did I possibly have to hurt you at that time?"

Deidara really thought that the Uchiha was straight up drunk of off Budweiser. The blonde really didn't expect much of a real answer to the question he asked. He was expecting Itachi to just come find him and try to stir up another argument but instead Deidara was hearing a sincere answer. The nineteen year old searched within the eyes of the twenty-one year old to spot some kind of façade. As the saying went, if you can fake sincerity, then you can fake anything. But the blonde spotted no front which meant the Uchiha wasn't trying to play him over for some dumb fool.

Deidara cleared his throat, "Wow, un. I…didn't know you felt that way…"

Deidara could feel the tension between him and Itachi; he just didn't know what kind of tension that was existent at the moment. It wasn't the anger tension because the two weren't angry with one another. It was a different kind. At this particular moment Deidara completely placed the assignment that was given to him in the back of his mind. Certain feelings entered within the blonde and he didn't know what they were but he knew they weren't going to exit his body anytime soon. He could tell Itachi could sense the tension in the air; he remained just as silent as he did.

Deidara watched as the Uchiha's index finger take its place under his chin and the older one's lips meet with his. The blonde would consider this to be complete abnormal behavior coming from Itachi but he wasn't truly focusing on that factor at the moment. Deidara didn't know what was taking place and he didn't know why it was taking place but he didn't bother to cease it. He slowly parted his lips allowing the older one entrance and Deidara found himself entering a cesspool of genuine warmth.

It was a simple kiss but for some reason it felt so exhilarating. It was so mesmerizing to the blonde that he swore he was becoming completely delirious from the gesture. Deidara massaged his tongue against the older one's savoring every bit of warmth that was existing within the kiss. Deidara felt him pull away and the tension was completely eliminated between them. Silence remained the blonde stood in the same place as the older one walked past him heading out of the park.

When his presence was no longer visible Deidara knew something was happening. He did not know what it was, where it came from, or why it came in. All he knew was that his job has become more difficult in some form.

愛

Today was the _final_ day of their detention and Naruto couldn't have been more happier. He has been counting down the antagonizing hours for when he will be completely free from this filthy prison so he could go home. He had fifteen minutes left. As Naruto scrubbed down the last of the stall doors he glanced over at Sasuke and did an immediate double take.

The younger Uzumaki watched as Sasuke scrubbed down feverishly on a perfectly _spotless_ sink. Why was the sink completely spotless? It was because Sasuke had already cleaned the sink and got it completely spotless just like the five other sinks he scrubbed down while they were in here. When Naruto thought for a moment he could've sworn that Sasuke washed that same sink at least _six_ previous times making this his seventh time visiting that sink. Judging by the other sinks the blonde presumed that the Uchiha did the same with the other five.

Naruto could recall many other times when Sasuke has done something seven times in a row. He could remember at times in elementary school that Sasuke would always take exactly seven bites of his sandwich and drink _exactly_ seven sips of his beverage before trashing both. In middle school Naruto spotted Sasuke opening the bathroom door seven times before he actually went in. Now he was seeing the great Uchiha scrubbing down the same five sinks seven times each.

Naruto spoke, "Hey dumbass, you've been cleaning the same damn sinks for the past two hours"

Sasuke looked up and shot a frigid glare at the blonde, "Shut the fuck up you faggot"

"Quit calling me that you asswipe!"

"That is what you are after all; a faggot out to rape innocent, straight guys like me," the Uchiha went back to scrubbing the sink, "At least my ass is being productive"

Naruto gaped at the older one, "Hold the hell up! I've cleaned every fucking outside restroom today! All you did was clean those damned sinks seven times straight! It's like you're some crazed psycho or something"

Naruto felt himself being tackled to the tiled floor and pinned up against the wall. The blonde could see the intense glare that existed within the older one's ebony eyes startling him a bit.

Sasuke growled, "Don't you _ever_ call me that"

The Uchiha threw the Uzumaki across the bathroom making Naruto hit his head against the tiled wall breaking at least four of them. Naruto looked down at the tattered tiles and could see droplets of blood slowly coating an area of the floor. The blonde felt that back of his head and could see that his hand was drenched in pure crimson blood.

Sasuke kicked the younger one to the floor, "I can call you a faggot because that's just what you are but you have no _right_ to refer to me as a psycho. Unlike you I didn't _choose_ to be the way I am," he kicked Naruto in the face, "So next time learn to choose your words around me if you plan on ever seeing that fucked up boyfriend of yours again"

With a final rough kick to the stomach Sasuke departed from the bathroom. He couldn't believe that Naruto had to complete audacity to criticize him for cleaning those sinks as many times as he did. It wasn't like the Uchiha had _complete_ control over his OCD. He wanted absolute control but for some reason couldn't grasp it. There was no way for him to; he could only control but so much.

The sixteen year old knew that the younger one didn't know that he possessed OCD but the fact that he addressed him as a psycho completely clouded that fact. To cause pain was the only way Sasuke knew how to react seeing that's what he has done his whole life. For the people who had a clear idea of his OCD they would often pick at him for it. Once Sasuke his seven years old that was when he decided to stop receiving pain and start giving pain. The Uchiha knew it was neither right nor healthy to express his anger in a way someone could get severely hurt but with the harsh words that humans spew out nowadays it was hard not to just throw a punch or two.

Sasuke spotted the polished black Porsche that was sitting in front of the school. He made his way over to the vehicle and pounded on the window not caring if it would burst into pieces. The sixteen year old watched as the window went down revealing his brother who was sitting in the driver's seat.

"I just got these windows clean Sasuke"

Sasuke opened the passenger side and got into the car, "I don't care; just drive me away from this place"

Itachi glanced out the passenger window and looked at Sasuke, "Where's Naruto?"

"Feeding on his insides; I really don't give a damn, just drive"

Itachi did as instructed and drove off from the high school, "Did something happen that you would like to discuss with me?"

"When a person has OCD what exactly is their state of mind?"

Itachi gave his brother a suspicious look but went on and answered it anyway, "Well when a person has OCD they feel compelled to complete the task a specific way. They believe that if the task is not done in that specific way then it will lead to something terrible such as bad luck, endless despair, accidents, and even death. They primarily believe horrible things will come about from them not performing the task correctly. It's like a necessary ritual"

"That doesn't mean their psychotic does it?"

Itachi shook his head, "Of course not," he stopped at the red light and looked at his brother, "Okay Sasuke, who called you psycho and what did you do to them?"

Sasuke looked back at the older one, "No one called me anything…"

"Sasuke, you never ask questions referring to your condition unless something happened to you. Who called you psycho and what did you do to them"

The younger Uchiha turned away from his brother, "The person is in no way important"

Itachi drove once the light turned green. He didn't need his stubborn younger sibling to answer. He had a pretty good idea of who addressed the sixteen year old as such and he had a good feeling that the person had no clear idea of Sasuke's condition. He was only hoping that no serious damage was done.

愛

Naruto winced, "Neji I'm fine, really; it's not that bad"

Neji gave his boyfriend a stern look, "Naruto, you have a wound on the back of your head and you have a gigantic bruise on your stomach. How is that not bad?"

"I'll heal…you don't have to worry so much"

Neji leaned against the wall, "Really; I don't have to worry?"

Naruto gave an adamant nod, "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying"

"If my memory serves me right, like it _usually_ does, I remember a certain blonde ending our relationship because I never bothered to care or worry about him like I should. So now I'm being told _not_ to worry when this certain blonde is clearly an injured being sitting on my bed?"

Naruto released a small sigh. He knew that Neji was right; the Hyuga's memory never served him wrong. That was the exact reason he ended their last relationship. Back then Neji didn't really worry much about Naruto when it came to terms of being hurt in any form. Back then Neji felt like he really didn't need to because he knew deep down in his heart that Naruto would make it through. So whatever he lacked in worry he made up for in affection. Back then Neji didn't know this actually made Naruto upset until the blonde broke off the relationship out of nowhere.

Naruto looked away from the older one, "It's not like that Neji; you just don't have anything to worry about"

"Naruto, when you received a huge ass bruise on your head you got completely miffed at the fact that I didn't worry about you. Here you are with _worse_ injuries and now you're getting annoyed because I am worrying about you. What exactly do you want me to do Naruto?"

"You're dating me; you should know exactly what to do! Damn Neji, I shouldn't have to tell you! Just get a damn grip and quit worrying your ass off! It's not like I'm fucking dying!"

Once Naruto realized he was yelling at the older one he soon felt an immense amount of guilt pour inside of him. The sapphire-eyed blonde stared at his boyfriend to see that the Hyuga stood there in his own unique silence.

Finally a sigh left the older one, "Okay…then I wholly apologize for worrying about you…"

Naruto bit his lower lip, "Neji-"

"No Naruto, it's fine; just save it okay…if you need me, I'll be downstairs"

And with that the Hyuga dismissed himself from the bedroom. Naruto bit the inside of his cheek as he felt warm tears leave his eyes. He really hated when he let his wrath get the better of him. He was angry with the fact that he got hurt in the first place; he never intended to take his wrath for the situation out on Neji but that's what happened. In fact, when Naruto was angry he had the constant tendency to take it out on Neji when he didn't mean to. It was just natural for him to continually do it.

Neji didn't deserve to be treated that way. Naruto knew that he treated the Hyuga wrong half of the time. He would yell at Neji, cause Neji grief, and even drive Neji to the point of crying which is a rare thing for the older one to do. At times Naruto constantly questioned within his mind why Neji just wouldn't leave him. He knew he deserved better than what he was receiving. When the blonde did ask him Neji told him that he loved him too much which Naruto saw as a fairly broad answer but he accepted the answer and never asked the question again.

During their breakup Naruto expected Neji to go find someone else but instead the older one wanted to get back with him. To him it really didn't make sense. Naruto knew that he has hurt Neji countless of times but for some odd reason he wanted to stay with him.

Naruto departed from the bedroom and descended down the stairs to the living room to see Neji sitting on the couch reading a magazine.

Naruto rubbed his arm, "Neji…"

The said male closed the magazine and placed it down on the coffee table, "Sometimes I just don't understand you Naruto; for some reason I feel like I can't make you fully happy, only halfway…is it me?"

Naruto shook his head and went over to him, "It's not you Neji…really it isn't…I didn't mean to snap at you…"

Neji released a sigh, "I'm just trying to make the right moves so I don't lose you again"

Naruto got on his knees and kissed the older one lightly, "I know…I'm sorry…"

"It's alright…," a small smile graced his lips, "No harm done"

When Naruto saw the smile he just couldn't help but wonder how his unruly wrath had not drove away this beautiful creature away from him.

Pretty good huh? Kind of different from what I planned in the beginning but that's okay. Tell me your thoughts people! I know I've kept you waiting but was it worth the wait? I would love to know.

Next: Itachi and Deidara think about the kiss they had and Itachi finally finds out what Deidara does for a living

Later: Naruto's birthday!


	12. Drawn

Hey people! It took me two days to write this chapter and I ended up with over 7000 words making this the new longest chapter in the story. Okay so here's what we've learned: Itachi's getting a divorce, Deidara's life is a drug lackey, Naruto deals with the hardships of being different, and Sasuke can't seem to fully cope with the fact he has OCD. So now we have come to chapter twelve. In this long chapter you will see Itachi and Deidara discussing one another with a trusting friend. Then Itachi finds out what Deidara does for a living. Plus Shimeta makes an appearance; her appearance in this chapter is very important to what will happen with Itachi later on. So without further or do here is chapter twelve! Enjoy everyone!

* * *

_Chapter Twelve: Drawn_

Kisame really didn't understand what was wrong with the world today. Obviously the society couldn't see that he was extremely tired after hitting the books for his classes and wanted to rest through the afternoon. The continuous pounding on his dorm door signified that society didn't really give a damn about his terrible case of fatigue. The male removed himself from his bed and went over to the door where the sound of the pounding increased creating more irritation within him.

Kisame opened the door to see Itachi, "You know…if you weren't you I would've absolutely cursed you out for waking me up"

Itachi walked past the male, "This is important Kisame; your fatigue can withstand at least ten minutes of conversing"

The said college student released a yawn, "Alright…what's so important?"

"Remember that blonde I was discussing with you?"

"Yeah…what did you do; murder him in cold blood?"

Itachi shook his head, "…I kissed him…"

Kisame eyes widened but, ironically, he was in no way surprised that Itachi did it. No, Kisame was purely amazed by the fact that he was right about the Uchiha. In the beginning Kisame never once deemed his friend gay seeing as him never having a girlfriend truly constituted that fact.

He began having his high suspicions of the company heir when he noticed that Itachi turned away from a girl when they tried to kiss him during a date. How would he know this? Back in high school a main topic that consumed he and Itachi's time would be the many girls that he dated. Kisame would spy while the date was going on. A fairly beautiful girl that Itachi had unique interest in went out with him on night. At that moment Kisame truly thought Itachi found the right girl to be with him seeing she was his type. Itachi had a deep feeling for the girl and on the third date when she tried to kiss him he immediately turned away on the first go. Kisame saw it as a nervous gesture because this was the girl Itachi liked. His thoughts changed when the girl kissed Itachi but he made no attempt to do anything; he simply didn't enjoy the kiss. Since high school Kisame made a final conclusion that his friend was gay.

Kisame held his smirk in, "Really?"

Itachi nodded and walked inside quickly, "Yes really damnit"

The taller figure closed the door and entered the kitchen, "Do tell my dear friend"

Itachi sat down at the table, "He's fucking with my mind Kisame! All I wanted to do was go and explain myself and the next thing I know I'm swapping spit with this damned blonde adversary"

Kisame departed from the kitchen with two cans of Budweiser, "Oh, so he's your adversary now?" he tossed the younger male a can, "And did I hear you just say that you _explained yourself_ to someone?"

Itachi opened the can, "Yes I did and I don't know _what_ he is anymore"

"Well presuming by how you describe him he must be a living human being"

The twenty-one year old shot a glare at the former, "Not funny"

Kisame released a chuckle in the air despite the look, "Okay I'm sorry; so explain to me what this whole thing was about"

"He broke into my apartment and when I asked him why he was there he was asking that same damned question about what happened that day when I didn't hit him"

"And what did you say?" Kisame began drinking from the can

"…I said how I felt…"

Liquid was spat out of the older one's mouth and he looked at the Uchiha, "You didn't even bother to lie?! Did you mention that the other reason why you didn't hit him?"

Itachi shook his head slowly, "I didn't have to; I'm pretty sure my voice gave away that part"

As the Uchiha began drinking from his can Kisame couldn't believe what he was hearing. There was plenty more to this infamous picture being presented besides the fact that Itachi was turning gay…or at least bisexual which was what the older one was pushing for in his mind. For one, Itachi sparing the blonde in the first place; Itachi expressed how he _felt_ about the situation in general. Number one, Itachi _never_ explained himself to anyone. If he did a specific action that no one else understood then that's how it was left. And number two, he didn't go against his emotions. Throughout the years Kisame knew Itachi as the person to not allow emotions to cloud the actions he wanted to follow through with. Obviously that rule was dropped with the blonde.

Next, Itachi let the guy into his apartment. Itachi was a picky person when it came to allowing people to enter his place. The fact that he just didn't leave the blonde sitting on his front porch was what made Kisame wonder what kind of pot Itachi was smoking lately. All Kisame could do, when Itachi was telling him about it over the phone, was sit there gaping at the air.

Third, Itachi was taking no initiative to truly get rid of or keep away from the blonde. Kisame could tell that much. The fact the Deidara _broke into_ his apartment and Itachi didn't phone the police was, in a way, a dead giveaway. The twenty-three year old knew that the Uchiha despised law enforcement with an overbearing passion but he would still call them when they were needed. The only time he never phoned the police is when the situation involves his father. The fact that Itachi explained himself to the blonde was another dead giveaway. As for the kissing, Kisame saw that as a self-explanatory action.

Kisame scratched behind his ear, "Why didn't you call the police when he broke into your apartment?"

"He countered that I despised law enforcement and I knew after that, if I called, he would've been gone within seconds"

"…Itachi, either you're turning gay or you are bisexual and didn't know it…or show it for that matter"

"The hell I'm gay!"

Kisame shrugged, "Then you're bisexual"

Itachi leaned back in the chair, "One kiss with a male deems me gay?"

"First, it was _three_ kisses, not one. Second, I had the greatest suspicion that you were when you didn't even kiss the girl _you_ were interested in"

Itachi bit the inside of his cheek, "…So _what_?"

"Itachi, you practically loved that girl yet you couldn't even kiss her. It couldn't have been because she was ugly; girl was hot as hell. She was completely hygienic and the girl was straight pure. When you denied a kiss from her I was in utter shock"

"…," Itachi didn't really know what to really say for that.

"This guy has you completely intimidated…he's smarter than I thought"

Itachi shook his head, "No, it was just as you thought; four points _higher_. I doubt it shot up within only a few days…"

Kisame looked at his friend, "Is there something about this blonde that makes him completely different from everyday society…?"

That was the same question that remained perpetual within his mind. What was it that made Deidara so special? Itachi learned to pick and choose who he felt had a decent amount of intelligence, maturity, and common sense to be associated with him. Deidara bared the distinct traits of a regular person of society, precisely his ability to annoy a person straight to Hell. He couldn't understand why a simple, nineteen year old, blue eyed blonde was taking complete control of his psyche. His intelligence was through the roof but was used very subtle, his maturity level varied based upon the situation, and his common sense was completely there; it just doesn't show prominently. Last, he was a proud smartass. How could a person who neglected to use his natural talents and was a smartass have this much affect on him?

Itachi tapped his fingers on the table, "I don't know…"

愛

Konan really _hated _making choices when it came to her job. The blue haired girl stared at the five hats that sat before her and took a mere glance at the outfit that existed on the mannequin. Honestly, Konan felt like throwing one of the hats on there and proclaim the outfit complete but knowing how hard it was to satisfy her boss' taste she didn't dare make the effort to commit the action. Her train of thought was disrupted by a monotonous pounding sound being placed upon her door. She made the decision to ignore it.

"Konan, I need you, un!"

The dark eyed girl released a short sigh; she couldn't ignore the pounding now. She rose from her chair and made her way to the door. She opened it revealing the young, nineteen year old blonde. Konan hasn't known the male long; she only met him once he entered college. She had no true intention to become befriended with him. In the beginning Konan didn't want to be associated with the opposite sex due to most of the sexual harassment she received from a majority of them. Then came along Deidara all vibrant but was a truly gifted and intelligent person. Sure he could be dumb at times but at least he wasn't an absolute pervert. Plus he was gay; he even came with an added bonus.

"Okay Deidara, I'm letting you in; this better be important"

Deidara nodded quickly and walked inside the dorm room, "Itachi kissed me last night…"

Konan gave her friend a suspicious look. Oddly enough, Itachi seemed to be a popular subject within the younger one's mind. The female remembered the first time Deidara phoned her about the said Uchiha. He was complaining about the fact that the older one gave him burns from the scorching hot coffee he purchased for him. Then he went into the fact that the twenty-one year old never did fully release the anger he had towards him because the Uchiha never punched him. That fact actually caught Konan by surprise. Unlike Deidara, the twenty year old has known Itachi since he was in middle school. When such anger was built within him Itachi spared no one no matter who they were or where they came from. It really didn't make a difference to him.

The next time the blonde called about the older male was when Itachi got drunk. When Konan heard how Itachi got drunk to begin with she found the situation to be much more humorous which contradicted the serious message Deidara was trying to get across to her (which to her, wasn't so serious). When the nineteen year old mentioned the drunken kiss Itachi graced him with the very first thing she said, after a long set pause, was 'kawaii'. She practically envisioned the small, chaste moment in her mind and replayed it for the blonde in words. Surprisingly her vision was on point. Within that call Deidara also mentioned the time Itachi took him to his apart because he got hurt one night.

Now there was this. Konan began thinking plenty about this when Deidara kind of went out of whack about he drunken kiss. Not only was he confused, he was infuriated and elated all at the same time. He was speaking in incoherent, incomplete sentences, he kept seeing Itachi in his dreams, and his psyche was primarily focused on the twenty-one year old. Konan had her thoughts on what this newfound interest could be.

Konan closed the door and sat down in an armchair, "Okay, explain this…kiss to me"

Deidara sat down on the couch, "Konan it was completely weird, un. He came and actually explained himself on a question that I asked him. He told me how he _felt_ that day he didn't hit me. Even if he did leave out that it had to do with my intelligence as well he expressed it in his voice"

Konan pushed some of her hair behind her ear, "What does your intelligence have to do with him inflicting damage upon you?"

"One of the primary reasons Itachi wanted to hurt me was because my IQ is four points hire than his, un. At the time he figured that if he punched me it would go down but he knew such a thing couldn't happen in one action"

"I see…continue…"

Deidara released a sigh, "Well the whole explanation took me by surprise and this agonizing tension existed between us…it was…an odd sexual intention that decided to come up, un. Then in the midst of the tension he just planted one right on my lips"

Konan nodded signifying she understood, "Well…how was it?"

"Konan it felt so odd because he was creating the action but…I entered a perpetual river of warmth, un. I'm was so damn delirious that I'm pretty sure my eyes shot into the back of my head for a quick moment. And now…I can't stop thinking about him…"

Konan produced a smirk, "Is my young blonde friend developing a massive crush on the devastatingly luscious raven?"

Deidara shot up from the navy couch, "No I most certainly am not, un! He's as rude as they come!"

"Then I guess you must find such horrid manners absolutely sexy…or maybe it's just Itachi in general"

"Wipe that smirk off Konan, un"

Konan crossed her legs, "Oh c'mon Deidara, you absolutely hated the guy when you first met him and here you are obsessing over a kiss he gave you. Either you hate this guy _or_ you are attracted to him for his physical and mental attributes"

Deidara gave her an odd look, "Physical attributes?"

"Yeah, you know like the fact that he's drop dead gorgeous, flawless skin, deep, admirable eyes, and his body is to _die_ for…well you wouldn't know that but you will soon"

Deidara didn't truly want to accept the possibility that he might be attracted to the Uchiha. Primarily because he had a job to uphold and, as of right now, it was either him or Itachi; sadly he had to be selfish and picked Itachi's probable death over his own. It wasn't anything personal but Deidara just couldn't leave Naruto in this world alone and he certainly wasn't going to have Naruto taken away from him in this lifetime. If the blonde ended up becoming wholly attracted to the older one then his feelings for his younger brother and him would mesh and come into question and Deidara couldn't let that happen. So to be attracted to the Uchiha was completely forbidden. Plus, if Deidara did become involved with Itachi in that way then Sasori would be anything but lenient with him if he found out.

Deidara shook his head, "No, I hate him; I'm not attracted to him, un"

Konan scratched the side of her nose as she rose, "You know Deidara, if you make the effort to push your attraction within the walls of your unconscious then it's going to force itself through your mind and you're going to have a breakdown…"

"…," Deidara didn't see much of an opening to respond to that kind of thought

"Maybe all of that hatred you produced towards him was to mask the attraction you have for him…if I didn't know any better, I think you're afraid of falling in love with him"

Even though he was _never_ going to admit this upfront at the moment Deidara knew that Konan had a valid point. He produced plenty of hatred for the Uchiha which caused the older one to react accordingly. In order to make his job either the nineteen year old did certain actions that would keep the twenty-one year old upset with him. The hatred Itachi expresses allowed Deidara to react accordingly making it easier to mask any kind of feeling or attraction to the older one because he didn't have to force it back; his reactions did the work for him. So if Deidara did have any attraction what so ever to Itachi there was no way it would be noticeable to every person around him unless it was said or expressed. Only Konan had that ability to tell.

Love has also been a large fear Deidara has been trying to cope with. It was in alignment with his prime fear of death. The Uzumaki figured that if he loved anyone in any type of form then horrible things would come to them. He began having this particular thought after he discovered his mother dead on the floor. Deidara loved his mother to no end. Her smile and compassion filled him with hope, life, and happiness. When he would see his mother getting abused by his father he blamed himself because she was closely attached to her. When the Uzumaki found his mother's lifeless body on the floor he took full responsibility even though he, not believed, but _knew_ his father murdered her. He figured it was due to the fact that he loved his mother so. Deidara loved Naruto so much as if the younger Uzumaki was like his own son.

The nineteen year old took full responsibility for placing Naruto in a position where he could possibly die the next day. Because he wanted the best for the teenager and that he loved him, Deidara took on the job offered by Sasori. If Deidara messed up big time or went against Sasori's authority the chances of Naruto being killed were high.

Every night Deidara would cry when his mind became flooded with countless nightmares about his mother's death and about Naruto being killed. The nightmares caused Deidara to make a sole vow to never love a person in any form for the remainder of his life. He would continue to love Naruto and his dead mother but no other individual would have love from him. So far the vow has stood in place and has not been broken and Deidara planned to keep it that way. He could always lust but he couldn't love another person. So yes, the blonde was afraid of love but he had his reasons and one thing he wasn't going to allow himself to do was fall in love with Itachi. There was no room for such an action to occur.

Deidara released a sigh, "…Well, I'm sorry that I disturbed you, un"

Konan then watched as a single tear flowed from her friend's eye, "Deidara…what's wrong?"

The blonde shook his head, "It's nothing…," he glanced at the mannequin, "and you should go with the top hat"

With that Konan watched her friend exit the dorm room in silence. She completely forgot the decision she was supposed to be making for the outfit on the mannequin. She picked up the top hat that rested on the table and released a sigh. The female didn't know too much about Deidara but one thing she did know was that he was one troubled being.

愛

Night arrived and Deidara was walking up a sidewalk with his car keys intact. Naruto had phoned him earlier saying that he would be spending the night at Neji's house which was good; it removed a large amount of stress on the older Uzumaki. This time Deidara parked his car in a nearby garage that was owned by Sasori for storage which was eight blocks away. The one thing the ruby haired male instructed the blonde to do was that if he used that garage not open the boxes that were in there. Deidara was always tempted to but obeyed and didn't make any action to.

The nineteen year old ceased walking and checked his surroundings before walking down an alley. He jumped a bit when he heard a trash can move but saw that it was a stray cat chasing a rat. He released a small curse under his breath as he continued down the dark alley. He turned right around a corner to see a male leaning up against a brick exterior of a building smoking. He appeared to be young and was dressed in royal blue jeans and a black wife beater. The blonde went over to the male.

The male looked at Deidara, "Birthplace"

"Sri Lanka"

"More specific"

"He was conceived in an alley while it was raining during a new moon and once he was born his mother passed away seconds later"

The male gave a smirk and tossed the cigarette he was smoking on the ground, "So, you're the nice piece of ass I keep hearing about on the streets. I knew Sasori hired a blonde but you must be one of the rare ones who actually think"

Deidara gave a glare to the former, "Just give me the damn bag…"

The male chuckled and picked up the black duffle bag resting near his feet, "Okay calm down pretty boy," he tossed the bag to Deidara, "Going through menopause I see"

The blonde ignored the comment and walked back around the corner and out of the alley. Knowing Sasori's birthplace was a requirement after Sasori found out a package was stolen because the dealer handed it to the wrong guy. So now, unless they had ties to Sasori, the dealer is required to ask about his birthplace. The comments that the male provided were normal ones the nineteen year old received when doing pickups.

Deidara walked down the sidewalk and took out the hair tie allowing his golden hair to flow down. The young male picked up one rapid paced footsteps coming near him. He looked back and saw three older males running towards him. Deidara knew what happened; the dealer was a traitor. With that thought pasted in his mind Deidara sprinted off with the bag still intact.

Here he was once again running to stay alive and Deidara wanted nothing more but to make it stop. The only reason why he stuck around was for Naruto. The only reason he even took the job was for Naruto. He needed fast money for his brother at that exact moment and rejecting the offer would've placed tremendous guilt on him when he grew in life. He had two ways out of this: college or death. Deidara chose college and did his best to evade death but it kept coming at him.

Deidara was reaching a busy street and began shouting dozens of curses within his mind. The street he was reaching was part of a large, hectic, four way intersection. Deidara had to choose: risk getting caught or risk getting hit. Either way he saw death as the final outcome but the Uzumaki would rather die at the wheels of a vehicle than die at the hands of a trio of drug lackeys. The nineteen year old ran out in the middle of the intersection trying to avoid as many cars as possible. A car finally hit him hard: a shining Chevrolet Malibu. Deidara hit the concrete of the street and began coughing to see crimson blood pouring out of his mouth. The cerulean eyed boy looked over at the sidewalk he separated from to see that the trio had disappeared. With the duffle bag still in his possession of his right hand the blonde blacked out.

愛

Itachi felt off. After discussing his issue about what happened last night with the cerulean eyed nineteen year old Itachi spent the rest of his day driving all around Tokyo. Seeing as how the city was fairly large he figured he could go just about anywhere. Itachi never thought he would get himself caught up in such a mess. He felt as if he naturalized psyche took a vacation and decided to produce actions that were unnatural to him. He didn't know what it was about Deidara but he knew there was something in the blonde that made these actions come about.

The twenty-one year old drew out a sigh. He hated crossing this intersection. Due to the intersections great size many drivers believe that they can get through when a car is coming from a different direction. Because many people have this common perception, Itachi has seen plenty of accidents happen right down to the middle. He saw those accidents as prime examples to support his theory that a majority of society was made up of simply close-minded imbeciles. Itachi then heard the screeching of tires. He figured that some driver was nearly in an accident. The Uchiha followed the line of cars and drove until he saw a brand new Chevrolet Malibu hit something. When he got a clearer picture Itachi saw that the car hit a person…with blonde hair.

Itachi made an immediate U-turn and pulled his Porsche over next to the Malibu. He got out of his car and ran over to the blonde and saw it was Deidara. The Uchiha glanced down at the puddle of blood that existed near the nineteen year old and looked at the crimson liquid dripping from his mouth. Itachi mumbled cursed; he figured that the younger male ran in the middle of the intersection. The only thing he couldn't figure out is what reason would he have. Another question: where was his car? Itachi looked up to see the owner of the silver Malibu.

The twenty-one year old released a long sigh, "…I swear to Kami that you're fucking stalking me; what the hell are you doing here Shimeta?"

Shimeta looked at her soon-to-be ex-husband, "I was going back home"

"You mean _my_ house"

"_Our_ house Itachi; I helped pay for half of that mansion"

"Well don't expect to be seeing it anytime soon," Itachi looked at the silver Malibu, "Where the hell did you get that car from?"

"That's not important; now who did I hit?" Shimeta made her way around the older one and looked at the body in horror, "Oh my…Deidara…I'm calling an ambulance!"

Itachi watched as his soon-to-be ex-wife pulled out her cell phone and he stripped her of it, "No, we're not calling the ambulance"

Shimeta watched as the other cars that stopped were now driving off following the normal intersection pattern and she looked at the male, "Then what do we do?"

Itachi placed his fingers on the blonde's pulse, _'He's unconscious,'_ he retrieved the duffle bag in Deidara's possession, "Okay, _you_ are going back to your dorm room; you are not to step foot in that house seeing as how you did _not_ pay for half of that mansion and I'm taking him," Itachi opened one of the back doors and placed the bag on the seat

"Itachi, he needs medical help!"

Itachi picked the blonde up bridal style and laid him down in the backseat, "Shimeta, you don't even know what a person who loves ice cream needs," he closed the door and tossed Shimeta her cell phone

Shimeta glared at the Uchiha, "Well I'm still going home," she walked back over to her car

Itachi opened the driver's side of his Porsche, "Good luck getting in bitch"

Itachi closed the door and drove off in the opposite direction he was headed and glanced back at the blonde. He looked so innocent and fragile; it almost appeared like he was sleeping instead of being unconscious. His hair was the lengths of a natural long-haired girl and it covered half of his face. Itachi stopped at a red light and dug into the blonde's left pocket to retrieve a set of car keys. The light turned green and Itachi turned left pulling into a nearby parking lot. Itachi took out his Samsung and dialed a number.

"Hello?"

"Kisame, I need you to do something"

愛

Itachi was waiting for Kisame's arrival with the blonde's car. When Kisame first arrived he was coming off one of the city buses and Itachi gave him the car keys. So now he was waiting until the older one came back. The Uchiha looked back at Deidara. Itachi couldn't help but wonder what reason the younger one had for running out in the street so blatantly. Then came in the mystery asset: the black duffle bag. Itachi's onyx orbs eyed the bag and he glanced at the blonde. Could that bag be holding the answer to his question?

Itachi pulled the duffle bag off of the seat and placed it in the passenger's seat. The bag was somewhat heavy; it was at a weight where a person could run with it. Itachi was never the one to roam into another being's business but something told him that he needed to know how this bag was connected to the blonde. The Uchiha took a deep breath and unzipped the bag. He opened it and felt his heart stop. The twenty-one year old pulled out one of the bounded stacks of money. Each bill was a hundred dollar bill. Itachi looked back in the bag and saw many other bounded stacks of money. He lifted up some of the stacks and saw something else; it was black. He lifted up another stack of money and he knew what it was: black tar heroin.

Itachi placed the money back in its original state and zipped the bag closed. The Uchiha looked back at the blonde. He didn't really know how to feel towards this. He didn't even know if he should feel at all. Sure Itachi smoked pot in his life but he never associated with anyone who used hardcore drugs especially not with a person who is picking them up and selling them. He wanted to just leave the blonde in the street but something deep within his heart told him not to commit such an action. Something told him there was something much deeper than what is being shown.

Itachi heard tapping on his window and he pushed the button making it go down, "You got his car?"

Kisame nodded, "It was parked in a storage garage a few blocks from here; so what happened?"

"Ran in the middle of the intersection and he got hit…by Shimeta"

Kisame raised an eyebrow, "Shimeta has a car?"

Itachi nodded slowly, "Yeah, a brand new Chevrolet Malibu…which she didn't buy…but I know who did"

Kisame bit the inside of his cheek, "So where is this blonde that's taking over your mind?"

Itachi pushed another button and lowered the back left window, "There he is"

"Whoa…this guy could pose as a girl if he wanted to"

"I know"

"So this is the smart blonde…"

Itachi could see the frown formed on his friend's face, "What's wrong?"

Kisame scratched the back of his ear, "Exactly why was he out here?"

"Hell if I know," Itachi felt like this was a perfect time to spill out a couple of lies

Kisame gave a shrug, "So you're taking him to your place again?"

"Yeah, you have his wallet?"

Kisame tossed the wallet to Itachi, "Isn't the short blonde kid the same kid who beat Sasuke's ass in middle school?"

"Yeah…," Itachi opened the wallet and looked at a picture and raised an eyebrow, "Interesting"

愛

Deidara cerulean opened and adjusted the vision so he would be able to see clearly. He rubbed his head and took note of the surroundings around him. He knew exactly where he was: Itachi's apartment. Groaning the blonde sat up in the bed and winced at the pain he felt at his abdomen. He began coughing and watched as small droplets of blood hit his hand. Deidara wiped his mouth off and lifted up his shirt to see a massive black and blue bruise covering the area of his stomach.

"Fuck…"

"Awake are you?"

Deidara looked up and saw the older one, "Where's m-"

Itachi neared the bed, "Outside; my friend drove it here after I discovered your car keys but enough about your car," the Uchiha picked up the black duffle bag and threw it on the bed

"…," silence came over the nineteen year old as he looked at the bag

Itachi grabbed a chair and sat down crossing his legs, "What's in the bag?"

Deidara bit his lower lip, "There's nothing in the bag, un"

"What's in the bag?"

"Noth-"

"What is in the fucking bag?!"

"None of your goddamn business!"

Itachi glared at the blonde, "Nothing in the bag?" the older one stood up and opened the bag, "Well what do we have here I wonder," Itachi pulled out one of the stacks of bounded money, "There's nothing in the bag?" Itachi dug down deep into the bag and pulled out a large chunk of heroin, "Yeah there's absolutely nothing in this bag"

"…"

"So this is what you do? So this what you are? A druggie, a drinker, a lackey, and yet you go to college and work as a bartender…and yet you put your little brother in danger of getting hurt"

"…"

"So as long as you're picking up this," Itachi threw the heroin back in the bag, "you receive this," he threw the money at Deidara, "You support your brother on drug money"

Crystal tears fell from the blonde's cerulean eyes, "Please…don't report me…and don't tell the university…if they find out they'll expel me and I'll be sent to prison…"

Itachi pulled the duffle bag off the bed, "Why are you even doing this? Doing the drugs is one thing but working in the circuit is different"

"I had to, un…I need money fast…I was young working for a dollar and fifty cents an hour in a fish market…I had my brother to take care of…I needed money and this supplied me with it…I'm not proud of who I am or what I do"

"Then why don't you stop?"

"Because then I'll lose Naruto! And I don't want to lose another person in my life…"

Itachi didn't know what happened but his heart completely sank when he saw the blonde start crying. Obviously the Uchiha knew he couldn't understand what the nineteen year old was going through but he did see one thing: he saw himself. One thing Itachi could tell from this was that Deidara had a troubled childhood. The fact that he was stuck taking care of his brother by himself signaled that something great had happened in the blonde's childhood to cause that situation. He could also tell that the blonde cried often.

Itachi remembered when he was like that: a child with pain stabbing his heart constantly to the point where he could no longer release a breath. Itachi remembered the countless times he cried, drowning himself in his own sorrow and tragedy; blaming himself for the numerous wrongs that came about. He remembered feeling alone; outnumbered against the world. He remembered wanting to commit suicide to make the agony stop; to make the hurt go away. He remembered trying anything to make it right but he ended up smoking pot which portrayed him to be a bad seed. He remembered where he reached the point where he couldn't do anything but stick with what was working for him. Right now what was working for him was sealing away his emotions and smoking pot to keep him from releasing them. For Deidara it was doing drug pickups to support his brother and do drugs to keep himself at ease with his own existence.

The twenty-one year old went over to the blonde and sat next to him, "Look…I won't report you okay"

Deidara raised his head and looked at the Uchiha, "you won't, un…?"

Itachi shook his head, "No…obviously college is your only way out; until you graduate you're stuck. All you're trying to do is support your brother the best way you can and that's understandable"

Deidara nodded slowly, "Yeah…"

"And you can stay here tonight; I'm pretty sure whoever was chasing your ass is still looking for you"

Deidara nodded once more, "Itachi…I know this will come off as an odd request but…"

Itachi already knew what the request was.

The Uchiha removed his shirt and laid down on his back, "I'll be right here when you wake up"

Deidara was elated with this decision but was confused at the same time. Itachi was being completely selfless and understanding with him. The blonde appreciated this but just saw it as complete abnormality for the older one. Seeing as his request was complied Deidara rested his head on the Uchiha's chest as he laid down. It would be the first night where Deidara wouldn't conceive a nightmare within his mind.

愛

The vibrant sun shined brightly as it peeked over the horizon at the city of Tokyo. The nineteen year old stirred from his slumber and rubbed his cerulean eyes. He sat up wincing a bit due to the pain from the bruise.

"Finally awake"

Deidara looked to his side to see the Uchiha lying in the same position, "Still here"

Itachi sat up and removed himself from the bed, "I told you I would be there when you woke up," the older one tossed him a towel and a wash cloth, "Go ahead and take a shower; I can take one when I go to my parents' house"

With that Deidara watched the Uchiha depart from the bedroom. Taking up on the offer the blonde entered the bathroom and undressed. He entered the shower and turned it on allowing warm water droplets to hit his body. The nineteen year old exhaled as he leaned against the frigid, onyx tiled wall. Last night was the first night Deidara slept peacefully. He has been wishing for such a night to arrive and last night Itachi, somehow, granted him with that moment. Deidara was feeling something odd within the pit of his stomach and he didn't know if this was something to fear or something that he needed to feel.

愛

Downstairs Itachi was drinking a mug of Columbian coffee. He really didn't know what he was feeling at the moment. All he knew was that he was either going to get rid of it or it was going to rest there and become dormant. To have such a strong feeling resting within the pit of your stomach wasn't something Itachi was used to or fond of.

Itachi looked up and saw the blonde emerging from the hallway fully clothed and duffle bag in hand, "Need anything?"

Deidara shook his head, "No, I'm fine, un"

The Uchiha sat the mug down on the counter and led the blonde to the door. The feeling that both college students had was evolving and neither knew what it was or how to rid of it.

Deidara rested the bag on the ground, "Thank you for letting me stay, un. I didn't mean t-"

Itachi shook his head, "It's fine…"

Deidara could feel it again; the tension that existed between them that night. The nineteen year old wanted to move but for some reason he was stripped of the ability at the moment. Deidara's thoughts were disrupted when he felt the older one take his lips captive. The blonde responded accordingly allowing the Uchiha's tongue to slip in with ease. The feeling inside the pit of his stomach was gone and completely tamed. Deidara wrapped his arms around Itachi's neck causing the kiss to become much deeper and more passionate. Once this act was committed the blonde found his back to the wall and two arms wrapped around his waist. The feeling was absolutely mutual. Deidara knew he should stop but his heart and soul told him to continue. The blonde watched as the Uchiha pulled away and dive straight to his neck. A short trail of butterfly kisses were left upon the evenly tanned neck before the older one returned to the blonde's lips and graced him with another kiss. Deidara felt like he was in Heaven but then one thought entered his mind.

'_Oh shit; Naruto's birthday today!'_

The blonde immediately broke the kiss and grabbed the duffle bag, "I totally forgot I have something important to do today, un!"

Itachi tried to regain his thoughts and composure as he looked at the blonde, "Right…"

"Thank you once again for not reporting me"

Deidara opened the door but he turned back to the Uchiha and graced him with a chaste kiss before leaving. The twenty-one year old really felt odd now but he didn't feel that when he took the action he took earlier. For some reason kissing Deidara made him feel more…_comfortable_ and this time Itachi couldn't come up with an excuse to dismiss that feeling. Thinking back to Kisame's question, Itachi figured out why Deidara was so special.

It wasn't so much that the nineteen year old was smarter than him. The reason was that Deidara was the only person who completely understood him. The blonde knew what made him tick, what made him think; the blonde could read him like a book. And the reason why Deidara understood so well was because Deidara was just another version of him. He was coping with similar issues but living in a different life completely. To know that someone felt exactly like him made Itachi feel more comfortable with Deidara and, most of all, himself. The fact that he showed a sign of affection also signified his vulnerability around Deidara. To Itachi the feelings and the actions meant only one thing.

"I'm completely drawn to him…"

So you got a little bit of everything in this chapter lol. So what do you think people? Is it good? Is it bad? Was it too much? Express yourself fully! Critisism is always appreciated.

Next: Naruto's birthday (there's good and bad in this)

Later: Itachi's discovery (and how he reacts to finding this out won't be pretty)


	13. Birthday Blues

Okay...this chapter gave me all out HELL. First my computer deleted my whole story along with the half finished original version of chapter 13 right in front of me. So I had to copy and paste everything and then I was forced to rethink my whole chapter. I will say this: there is more bad than good in this. This chapter is filled with anger, sadness, confusion, evolving attraction, and genuine love. I have to say that this is one of the _hardest_ chapters I have EVER written due to the fact that I spent nearly two weeks probably trying to get it right in deciding what to do and because of what I ultimately placed within the chapter itself. If you have any kind of question pertaining to this chapter then feel free to ask in your review.

I also want to announce that I am leaving for New York so I will try very hard to find a _reliable _computer located at the house I'm staying at.

There is also a flashback in this chapter. Flashbacks will be identified with two japanese symbols with something in between them (i.e. a date, a time, etc.)

So without further or do here is the fairly long awaited chapter 13...

* * *

_Chapter Thirteen: Birthday Blues_

Noise often annoyed the hell out of Itachi. This is primarily because when noise was created it was during a time of much needed solitude. Itachi departed his apartment and drove straight over to the Uchiha mansion after his rather interesting encounter with the nineteen year old. Once he entered the vast structure he retired to his quarters where he graced himself with a nap. With no surprise and an ample amount of annoyance his nap was interrupted with unwanted noise. The noise, in speaking, was the constant pounding being created by some wretched human on the other side of his door. If the twenty-one year old weren't so rattled up about what happen earlier he would've easily gotten up abruptly and break the door in half.

Seeing as how the action would only cease with answer Itachi groaned, "Who is it and what do you want?"

"It's Sasuke and I need you to take me to school so get your ass up and do this productive task I have assigned for you"

"That is what the bus was created for Sasuke"

"I don't feel like taking it"

"Not my problem; now go away so I can sleep"

Apparently it seemed to work. The younger one's voice was absent in response. Feeling victory resting on his heart Itachi pushed himself to return to his relaxing slumber. He truly needed it after what happened. He didn't regret the action he committed nor did he feel wrong for doing such a thing. Sure it was sinful in more ways than one but Itachi didn't believe in God so he really didn't give a damn about how 'unruly' or 'disgusting' someone would make it out to be. Itachi was more concerned about how he was feeling towards the nineteen year old.

A soft knock disrupted his thinking process making him release a groan, "What do you damned people want?!"

"Honey it's me"

Itachi sighed, "Come in mother…" He completely regretted his recent outburst. One person Itachi could never bring himself to resent in his life would be his mother.

Mikoto entered the bedroom and sat down on the bed, "Sasuke said you wouldn't take him to school"

"That little boy can catch the damn bus like he always does"

"You usually never speak wrong about Sasuke…," Mikoto ran her hand through Itachi's silky, ebony hair, "What's wrong Itachi? Did something bad happen…?"

Itachi turned his head the opposite way, "No…just had a confusing morning as all…"

Itachi always tried his hardest to avoid these kinds of talks with his mother. For as long as he could remember Itachi never actually discussed personal problems with his mother. It wasn't that he never had any absolute trust within his mother. The circumvention was more out of fear than anything else. After recalling how Fugaku treated his wife, Itachi had a soft place in his heart to protect his mother at any cost and that meant refraining from opening up to her. He would respect her, address her accordingly, and do as he is told when she orders it. Opening up to her would cause her to speak her mind which would result in World War III erupting in their home and Itachi couldn't have such pain inflicted on his mother and witnessed by his brother. To open up to her now would be risky and he couldn't lie. He refused to do that.

Mikoto looked at her eldest son, "Still the same as you grew up…locking away all your feelings. At times I began to think you didn't love me but I knew you would've told me that if you felt that way towards me"

Itachi sat up and looked at his mother, "You should never think that…I just don't feel like discussing it"

Mikoto gave a light smile, "Itachi, you can tell me; now what's wrong?"

"…Would you think of me any different if I had a different sexual orientation?"

Mikoto gasped, "Of course not Itachi; I would never think of you different! Why would you think that? I'm not your father," she stood up and opened a drawer on the tallest dresser, "In fact ever since your father placed you with that wretched, superficial slut I began wishing that you were completely gay"

The twenty-one year old raised an eyebrow, "I don't know which one I find more astonishing: the fact that you used the word 'slut' or that you wished I was gay"

Mikoto released a small laugh, "I know, using such a word is uncommon for me but that's what I think of her," she closed the drawer, "Hmm…it's not there"

"What are you looking for mother?"

"It was actually kind of odd," Mikoto made her way over to the black Victorian end table and opened the drawer, "A nice, young man came by while you were taking a shower"

Itachi really didn't like where this was going.

Itachi eyed his mother, "A nice, young man?"

Mikoto nodded as she searched the drawer, "Yes and he was absolutely gorgeous; he said that he knew you and wanted told me to give you something"

"…Exactly what did this person look like?"

"Um…well he had beautiful, cerulean eyes, long blonde hair, and even tanned skin," Mikoto smiled at the memory of the boy, "Oh Itachi he was wonderful and he seemed very adamant about talking to you but he also said he had to go do something. It's not there…," she went over to the closet and opened it, "He said that his brother's birthday was today. Ah, here it is!"

Itachi rubbed the back of his neck, "Mother, I don't think-"

The twenty-one year old stared at the objects that were in her possession. The first was a small, white card with a gold lining. The other object was a red rose that shined in absolute perfection. Itachi had to think back to the person that his mother was talking about and was utterly confused at what was in front of him. He and his mother must be thinking about two different people.

"Did he happen to leave his name…?"

Mikoto handed the two objects to her son, "Yes he did; Deidara"

Itachi felt really sick to the stomach, "Thank you…"

"Is there something you'd like to tell me about this young man, Itachi?"

The male Uchiha pressed his back against his backboard, "Not at this particular moment"

Mikoto smiled, "Well _if_ you plan on getting closer to him then I would love it if you invite him over for dinner"

"Okay mother"

"Good," the female placed a small kiss on his cheek, "Now take your brother to school"

A small smile was formed by the college student, "Okay, I will"

Itachi watched as his mother left his room and he turned his attention back to the card and the rose. He _really_ didn't want to see these at the moment. Yet, at the same time, there was no way in hell he was going to get rid of them. The scent of rich chocolate was coming off of the items. Apparently Deidara did know much more about him than the Uchiha first presumed. The only person who knows that Itachi likes chocolate is Mikoto and Itachi knows that his mother doesn't blurt out random facts to people whether she knows them or not. He opened the card and recited the words in a low voice.

"You think you can face me…?" Itachi thought for a moment as he closed the card and looked at the rose, "This damn blonde is playing games with me…"

He opened the card once more to look at the location again. How can one chance meeting in a bar create this kind of mess?

愛

Neji awoke to the heavenly aroma that he thought could only be created within a dream. He sat up and saw a tray sitting on the bed that had a tall stack of chocolate chip pancakes. The Hyuga was utterly confused by this. Thinking about what day this was he didn't understand why a stack of his favorite pancakes was resting in front of him. The older one then felt a light kiss upon his neck which made him look to his side.

"Morning Naruto"

"Good morning best boyfriend in the world," the blonde planted a kiss upon his lips, "I took the absolute liberty of cooking you breakfast"

Neji smiled, "I see"

Naruto beamed, "And for being the best boyfriend in the world you get a complementary shoulder massage"

The blonde began massaging the Hyuga's shoulders making the older one release a sigh.

"Feels good," Neji picked up the fork, "but I'm not giving you your birthday present now"

"Neji, please?! You do this every year! Must you torture me like this?"

"Naruto it's not going anywhere; trust me, you'll receive them when the time comes"

Naruto crossed his arms and pouted, "Damn; you are so unfair"

"I love you, too"

愛

Deidara parked his Corvette at the end parking space along side the sidewalk in front of the pet store. Removing himself from the vehicle he checked his surroundings. The last thing he wanted was some of Sasori's lackeys to appear. That has happened on Naruto's birthday numerous times. Because of Sasori, Deidara was forced to leave Naruto in the care of a stranger on his eighth birthday. He was then forced to severely injure the stranger because the unfamiliar person just happened to be a registered sex offender. That year Naruto didn't speak to Deidara for five months. This year Deidara didn't plan on abandoning Naruto on his birthday, especially when today was his sixteenth birthday.

Deidara turned around to come face to face with the twenty-one year old, "Ah, so you were able to face me, un"

"You are playing games"

"Didn't you have to take your brother to school, un?"

Itachi held up the rose, "What the hell is this?"

Deidara looked at the flower, "Well due to its predominantly deep, bright red color it looks like a rose"

"What exactly is this for?"

Deidara shrugged, "Well I just wanted to thank you once again for you amazing hospitality and I just wanted to see how you would react, un. I thought the chocolate scent would be the icing on the cake"

Itachi stared at the blonde as he saw a large smile plastered on the younger one's face, "Why are you doing this to me…?"

Deidara tilted his head, "Whatever do you mean, un?"

"Do you have _any_ idea what you've done to me?"

"If you're discussing your sexual orientation then no, I don't seeing as how you decided to do what you did this morning, un. After all, you're in no way ashamed of what you did so I obviously don't see the absolute problem"

Itachi sighed and placed the rose on top of the car, "If this is some sick game that you've created within that twisted mind of yours then I want no part"

Deidara was a bit taken back by this, "It's not like that…okay so, maybe I might've created some stressful, tense situations but…I don't know…maybe I sort of _attracted _to you in some form"

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Who isn't?"

"Oh this is fucking ridiculous, un," the nineteen year old grabbed the rose and began walking away, "Fuck this, I have things to do"

The older one grabbed the latter's wrist, "Okay, I'm sorry; it came out wrong"

Deidara looked at the twenty-one year old, "I don't usually admit these kinds of things so if you're not going to take me se-"

"I'm taking you seriously; now what is it?"

Deidara really didn't want to do this. He promised himself he wouldn't give in to his dormant feelings. He had to place his brother first. Yet, ignoring his feelings would drive him mutually insane.

"You think you can help me with something, un…?"

He felt it was better to avoid it for the time being while he still could.

Itachi released his wrist, "Sure," he followed the blonde into the pet shop, "I take it that birthdays are rather rough on your brother"

Deidara glanced around the store, "Let's just say he's never had a decent one, un. Even his birth turned out to be a horrible moment within his life"

"How so…?"

愛 _October 10, 1992_ 愛

_Three year old Deidara sat patiently in the waiting room of Alkaline Memorial Hospital. He was moments away from taking his first look at his new sibling. For the past nine months he was hoping and praying that the baby would be a boy. A little brother that looked up to him was something he has dreamt about for a while. Though what would he be like once he was born? The agony was killing the three year old._

_Deidara looked up at his father who was currently smoking. The child noticed that the receptionist gave up trying to make the older male cease his disgusting habit. The natural thing to do was to get someone of higher authority to come cease the action. Yet Deidara knew that the female employee didn't want to create such pandemonium in the early hours of the morning._

_Deidara looked down at his feet to pass the remaining time. He figured there was no true way to engage his father in conversation. In fact, Deidara began avoiding his father ever since his mother announced that she was pregnant. The three year old could tell that his father was not truly happy about it. At one point the older Uzumaki considered to get a vasectomy accusing the female was incredibly fertile. Deidara was fully aware that his father didn't want too many children yet the comment was completely uncalled for especially when his mother wanted at least three children._

"_It's going to be a boy"_

_Deidara looked up at his father, "What…?"_

_The father looked at his current son, "It's going to be a boy and I don't want you near him"_

_The three year old looked down, "But…he'll b-"_

"_You'll get too attached and that is the last thing I need for you to be with anyone," the male blew out a puff of smoke, "I need you in the future Deidara and you don't need to get attached to anyone. You're already attached to your mother…and that serves as a serious problem"_

_Deidara looked up at a female nurse that came from around the corner. He knew what was coming and a smile formed. Removing himself from the chair he followed the nurse with his father and came to the room that his mother was in. Once the nurse left Deidara ran up to the bed to look at the infant that was resting in his hands. The newborn had even tanned skin and sapphire blue eyes; he also had whiskers on his face. Two out of three wasn't bad when it came to them looking similar._

"_Bastard"_

_The mother looked over at his husband, "Arashi please…"_

_Arashi walked over and looked at the infant in his wife's possession, "Namie…he's a bastard. How can you give birth to a perfect accomplice fit for me," he blew a puff a smoke into the infant's direction, "and then give birth to a worthless, pathetic little fucker?"_

_Namie glared at her husband, "How could you say that about your own son?"_

_Deidara looked up at the older male, "Dad…he just came into the world…how can you say that about him when he has a clean state, un?"_

_Arashi removed a dagger from his pocket and ran the blade down Deidara's cheek, "If you let that damned boy get attached to you," he created a quick motion producing a cut on the younger one's face, "your life will be hell and you will pay dearly. I have plans for you and that bastard isn't ruining them for me"_

_Deidara watched his father storm out as he wiped the blood dripping from the cut. It was then when the infant released a fit of cries into the air._

_The three year old walked over to the bed with tears in his eyes, "Oh Naruto…don't cry…"_

_Namie looked at her eldest son and slowly nodded her head, "Naruto…," she ran her hand through Deidara's hair, "That's exactly what we'll call him…" _

愛 _Present Day _愛

Deidara released a sigh, "Since then Naruto usually blames himself for the person I've become, un. He solely believes…that it is his fault that I do as I do…"

Itachi looked away in the opposite direction, "I apologize"

The blonde shrugged, "I don't think about it too much; I figured if I delayed from dwelling on the thought I'd be better off, un"

Itachi stopped and looked at one of the windows, "Fox…"

The nineteen year old looked back at him, "What?"

"Get him a fox," the older one knelt down

Deidara did the same and looked at the animal, "They started taming foxes?"

愛

Anger is such a dangerous emotion. Wrath can cause unwanted situations. It can cause such blind rage that can damage basically anything. This was an emotion that Neji never truly associated with himself. The last time he ever came near becoming furious with anything is when the whole school pulled a prank on Naruto when they were in the eighth grade. That year Neji brought all kind of hell to most of the student body and nearly severely injured Sasuke and Tenten seeing as how they were the masterminds behind the whole scheme.

Neji was, once again, back in his furious mode and this time he felt like shedding blood. He still can't believe how anyone can truly pull this off. He turns his back for a moment to go to the restroom leaving Naruto right next to the door. Five minutes later the blonde is gone. The Hyuga was no where near stupid and he couldn't understand why everyone in the school thought he was. Naruto wasn't going to stray away from the spot seeing as how he didn't need to do anything. The last thing Neji needed was for someone to pull a prank on the new sixteen year old on his birthday especially when the younger Uzumaki never had a decent birthday in his life.

Neji spotted Sakura by her locker with Ino and Tenten and stormed over, "Where is he?"

Sakura looked up at the older one, "Oh Neji; how are _you_ doing today?"

Ino looked at the male, "Aww, did someone misplace his oh so wonderful boyfriend"

Tenten gave a smirk, "You should learn to keep a leash on him Neji"

Neji pushed Tenten into the lockers and glared at her, "Where the _hell_ is Naruto?" His voice was drenched in venom

"We didn't do anything to your precious boyfriend"

"Fuck you!" the Hyuga punched the locker next to her creating a massive dent, "Where the hell is Naruto?! If you hurt him I swear to Kami I _will_ murder you myself!"

Tenten went pale, "I…"

"Don't tell him anything Tenten," Ino warned

Sakura nodded, "Yeah, don't give into him. Remember, he's a fag now…"

Neji's patience was walking on a fairly thin line. It was a line that would break instantly with a wrong step. He wasn't the kind of guy to hit girls or abuse them fully but after what happened in eighth grade he could easily feel no guilt in hurting Tenten again. The Hyuga instantly grabbed Tenten by her neck and slammed her against the lockers. As his grip tightened the female lost oxygen and Sakura and Ino were too stunned to move.

Neji shot the girl in his possession and ominous glare, "Where…is…my…boyfriend…_bitch_?"

Tenten strained the words out, "We don't…know. Sasuke…took him after…we moved him…"

"Fucking son of a bitch!"

Neji threw Tenten down and went down the hallway. His line finally broke.

愛

Deidara looked at the fox he purchased, "Are you positive it's safe, un?"

Itachi nodded, "Your brother will remain in good health"

The nineteen year old placed the cage in the passenger's seat, "That's good to know"

"You didn't answer my question?"

"Which one, un?"

Itachi leaned against the Corvette, "What do you want to admit to me?"

Deidara looked at the twenty-one year old, "It all depends," he stood in front of the older one, "what do you want to hear?"

The Uchiha gave a smirk, "Still playing games with me"

"As if we weren't before," Deidara took out the rose and stroked the flower down the older one's cheek, "That is all we do in our own twisted, little world that no one understands but us," he instantly pulled the Uchiha closer, "So what exactly do you want to hear, un"

"Depends…," Itachi placed his finger under the blonde's chin, "What do you want me to say in response?"

Deidara gave a smirk, "Touché, un…I want you to respond in a way that doesn't pertain to anger"

Itachi moved back, "Okay, so you're attracted to me in more ways than one. Question is if there is something beyond just simple attraction in one's innocent vision"

Deidara moved closer to the Uchiha, "Only if you want it to be oh dear Master…"

"Let's say that I didn't"

"Then I would expose it as a lie, un. I would because I know it's not true"

"So what are you trying to say…?"

Deidara whispered against the Uchiha's lips, "You want me…and you can't lie when you want something deep down"

Itachi stared intently at the nineteen year old, "You seem so sure"

Deidara licked Itachi's bottom lip, "Because I'm right, un. Now if you'll excuse me I have other matters to attend to"

Itachi moved away from the car and watched the blonde enter the vehicle. The Uchiha could tell that the younger one could read him like a book whenever he felt like it. Yet, the Uchiha could do them same…as long as he played the game.

愛

Weak was usually a word that Naruto often associated with himself. He felt that he had no sense of self defense and that once something horrible happened he was always afraid. Soon when fear flows in the tears soon fall. At times the blonde beat himself up because of how weak he was despite the fact that Neji and Deidara said he wasn't. He remembered back in eighth grade when he began crying after the prank that was placed upon him. He also remembered how furious Neji was and how the older one didn't react like he did. The blonde naturally felt embarrassed at his fragile state even at his newfound age, sixteen.

Fresh tears flowed down the younger Uzumaki's face as he sat in the chair in immense darkness. He had no true knowledge of where he was because he was blindfolded. His wrists were bounded with semi-thick wire behind the chair. The blonde soon felt a frigid blade being traced down his cheek and a low yet sinister laugh was released.

"You're so pathetic…"

Naruto's heart began to race, "Sasuke…

The younger Uchiha looked at the blonde, "You're such a loser; such a dobe," he created a cut on the side of the Uzumaki's face, "So weak, so fragile…I bet that's _such_ a turn on for Neji isn't it"

"Don't talk about Neji!"

Sasuke gave a smirk, "Okay," he placed the flat side of the blade under the younger one's chin, "let's talk about you; after all, it _is_ your birthday"

More tears fell from the blonde's eyes, "Why are you doing this…I didn't do anything to you…"

"On contraire birthday boy," Sasuke licked up the right side of Naruto's face tasting salt water as he went and released a light whisper, "You have…"

Naruto was shocked by the action that Sasuke took. If this was supposed to be a prank it wasn't unfolding like the previous ones Sasuke pulled. The blonde felt added weight being placed on his lap and could feel his head being lifted up. The blindfold was removed and he adjusted his sapphire eyes to the darkness to see the older one sitting on his lap.

Sasuke grazed the tip of the blade down Naruto's face, "You see, Neji and I were best friends; the only person who was able to fully understand the massive book of my fucking messed up life"

With a swift movement Sasuke created another cut on the birthday boy's face; it was deeper than the previous one. Blood dripped from the line on the even tanned skin. Naruto was on the verge of completely crying.

The Uchiha glared at blonde before him, "And then _you_ came along with your fucked up idiocy and your _pathetic_ ineptness and what do _you_ do? You _take_ away my best friend!"

The former stabbed the latter in his left arm with the dagger making Naruto scream out in pain. Snatching the blade out of the impaled skin, Sasuke removed himself off of the younger one and kicked him in the chest sending the chair backwards. The Uchiha walked over and knelt down.

"You _both_ are going to suffer; you both will _lose_ one another," Sasuke brushed his lips against the blonde's and whispered harshly, "and I _hope_ that you two will feel like you're in Hell…because then, _I_ will have the last laugh…not you"

Sasuke removed a bottle of hot sauce from his pocket and Naruto stared in horror. The Uchiha punched the Uzumaki in his chest and he poured the red hot liquid down the blonde's throat. When Sasuke finished nearly two-thirds of the bottle was gone. Sasuke stood up and departed from the classroom only to be rammed into the wall by someone. A smirk formed on his face.

"So nice of you to finally join us Neji"

Neji gave the Uchiha a death glare, "What did you do to him?!"

In turn, Sasuke sent a glare, "You know, you really make me sick when you talk about him. Still can't believe you left me as a friend for that pathetic excuse of a guy. He's shit; an embarrassment to all males"

"You shut the fuck up you dipshit!"

Sasuke pushed the Hyuga back, "It won't matter now because I'm out to hurt both of you and trust me, you will be the first to suffer and he will have just as much to do with your sorrow like I will"

Neji watched as his former friend made his way down the hall. He entered the room and turned on the switch to see Naruto still on the ground bounded to a chair coughing up blood and covered in a horrible, bright red rash.

愛

Itachi felt like time was becoming shorter as each day passed. To think that it was already in the middle of the day took him by surprise a bit. Despite the fact he didn't know him too well the twenty-one year old decided to purchase a gift for the younger Uzumaki out of his own heart, a gesture he rarely commits in life. During the time he was getting the gift Neji had given him a call to report to Alkaline Memorial Hospital to attend to an emergency.

It has been a while since the Uchiha has actually seen Neji in person. The last time he remembered even doing that was the final moment during his friendship with Sasuke. The male walked down the hall that Neji told him to go down when he arrived with the white box in his hand. He figured it had something to do with the younger Uzumaki seeing as how there really wouldn't be any true reason for Neji to call the twenty-one year old. The atmosphere was crisp and clean compared to the air that existed outside the massive building. Itachi spotted, not Neji but, Deidara leaning against the wall with his golden blonde hair let down and covering his face. Itachi placed the white box in the chair leaning against the entrance of the room and stood in front of the nineteen year old.

"What happened?"

"…," no response was given in return

This actually annoyed the Uchiha. The older one moved the hair to lay his eyes on a genuine sight. Crystal blue tears were falling from the, once, elated eyes of the Uzumaki. The sight was so pure it seemed to be imaginary to the Uchiha. This couldn't be the same blonde who has been toying with him for the past days. There was no way this was the smart ass that he met in a strip club.

"…My life…is absolute _hell_…," were the words the distraught blonde choked out, "and…"

Itachi didn't like the direction this conversation was headed, "What _happened_?"

"Naruto had a _horrific_ allergy reaction, un…Because of the severity he might d-," the college student began to breathe heavily

"Deidara-"

The blonde fell over and the Uchiha caught him. Deidara fainted. What the _hell_ was going on?

愛

"I'm so sorry Naruto…"

The younger Uzumaki gave a warm smile to the Hyuga, "It's not your fault…really. I really like the gift you gave me…"

Like was actually a complete understatement. Naruto was down right in love with the gift. The gift was the pure silver chain with a gothic cross that served as the pendant. It was the same one that he has wanted since he was thirteen only Neji made a few alterations. Naruto's initials were engraved on the back of it in genuine sapphire and the outline of the cross was pure onyx. He didn't appreciate the gift because it was expensive. No, he appreciated it because it came directly from the heart.

Neji lightly bit his lower lip, "I just don't want you to-"

"Don't say that Neji; it won't happen…I wouldn't leave you like that…"

Neji turned to look at the door to see the twenty-one year old, "Itachi…"

The Uchiha walked in and handed Naruto the white box, "I know I've only seen you a few times but I decided to get you something"

Naruto opened the box and took out the gift, "Holy shit…an authentic New York Yankees cap…Deidara always tried to get me one but he was never able to get one for me in time…," the blonde looked up at the older one, "Thank you…but how did you know the Yankees were my favorite American team…?"

Itachi gave a sigh, "It was either that or the Braves and I was making an educated guess"

Naruto beamed, "Good guess!"

"Um…Naruto…your brother fainted"

The smile soon faded, "I knew he would be devastated…when I told him I would be in the hospital for at least a week he literally broke down and lost it…Can you watch over him and make sure he'll be fine…?"

Itachi gave a slow nod, "Will do…Neji can I talk to you for a moment?"

Neji nodded and followed the older one out of the room, "You probably want to know"

"It would make things a _hell_ of a lot better"

"Naruto has a horrible hot sauce allergy…your insane, _malicious_ brother gave Naruto two-thirds of hot sauce while he was bound and now Naruto is in a very serious condition because this has never happened before…"

Itachi nodded, "I see…"

Neji released a drawn out sigh, "He said he didn't want Deidara to visit…said it would be too hard for him to keep it together…"

"What is the level of severity?"

"Well…Naruto's hot sauce allergy is fairly serious; one drop causes him to catch this horrible rash and damages him externally and internally at times. Because he had so much something is making him cough up large amounts of blood. If he loses too much…Naruto could…die…probably within the next few days. I mean, of course more blood can be given but you can only take but so much from a person's body…"

Itachi leaned against the wall, "So if blood loss is minimal then enough blood will be able to cover it?"

Neji nodded, "Yes, that is…Itachi-"

"I'll figure out something when it comes to Sasuke getting tutored…Deidara and I will discuss it with Principal Hatake"

愛

Gaara Sabaku waited patiently outside in front of the school. Normally such patience wouldn't exist within him but he'd rather wait out here for a person rather instead of stomaching down that rancid waste in the cafeteria they define as 'nutritious food'. He removed a cigarette from his pocket and lit it immediately releasing a cloud of toxic smoke. Such a horrible habit he fell into but he was in no rush to step away from it.

"Gaara"

The said teen turned around, "About time you made it here Sasori"

The drug lord rolled his eyes, "Cut the bullshit; where the hell is Deidara?"

Gaara pulled out a cigarette and handed it to the older one, "Hospital would be my best guess"

Sasori lighted the cigarette, "Hospital; for what reason?"

"Birthday boy is at risk of dying; Itachi's brother has it out for him"

Sasori raised an eyebrow, "Oh really?"

Gaara glared at the drug lord, "Don't start Sasori; you already got Deidara doing dirty work. Don't bring the Uchiha's brother into it"

Sasori blew smoke into the younger one's face, "I won't"

'_But if I must include my target's flesh and blood to obtain my goals then I will'_

* * *

Yeah some pretty interesting stuff; learned a few things and Gaara enters the scene.

Okay people I'm going to go ahead a form a contest for this so here's the question:

**What does Itachi find out in the next chapter that makes him go off on his father?**

The winner will get to decide what will happen after chapter 14

If there is more than one winner than I will jam the ideas together somehow

If you get one of the two right then you still qualify as a winner BUT if someone ends up getting both of them then that person wins.

Up next: Itachi discovers some things that set him off

Later: ??


	14. Sunday Morning

Okay then! Hey everyone, yes I know I took a very long time with this but I've been having some problems in this bittersweet thing we call life so I was forced to stop typing and betareading for a while which meant I had to put this story on hiatus. Plus I had to alter this chapter due to writer's block. My original plan was to include some lyrics from three Maroon 5 songs including Sundy Morning (hence the title) but I got stuck so I couldn't do that. Yet I didn't change the title of the chapter. I decided to do something different but still have it relate to the title in some way so you can say it's one of those weird chapters.

As for what Itachi is finding out in this chapter everyone guessed around it and got too far ahead in the story. So you'll find out those two things and you'll see how Gaara is involved in all of this chaotic mess. So here is chapter fourteen!

* * *

_Chapter Fourteen: Sunday Morning_

Friday sprinted off into the breeze with its spontaneous sorrow giving birth to Saturday. The day was fairly uneventful because Deidara didn't bother to remove himself from the bed. When Saturday night entered the scene the nineteen year old spent his time staring at the ceiling in Itachi's apartment. He was very thankful that the twenty-one year old didn't try to force anything. Itachi solely understood the situation taking place at hand.

The blonde sat up on the bed and retrieved the two Advil pills that were resting on the end table. Placing the medicine within his mouth he retrieved the cup of water and drank some of the liquid sending the tablets in his system. Deidara felt internally sick with this current arrangement. He yearned to check up on his younger brother but he knew fairly well he couldn't keep it in. He'd lose it once he stepped foot into the frigid construction.

He was now sitting alone in the apartment due to Itachi having to attend to a personal matter. He wished that the older one was here at the moment. The feelings he tried to refrain from obtaining were leaking into him slowly. He never lost sight of his main focus but the genuine attraction he had developed for the twenty-one year old was beginning to evolve rapidly and he could tell that his heart was entering a boundary he was rarely familiar with.

Yet Deidara blamed himself mainly because he couldn't help it. Something about the Uchiha was different from the several males he has been around. His appearance was flawless, his movements are intricate, his words are pure silk; his touch was indescribable. Why was Itachi having this kind of effect on him?

Food; proper nourishment always helped him think more clearly.

愛

For once in his life, Itachi really hated Sasuke. He didn't hate him enough to dismiss him as his brother but enough to categorize him as a foolish imbecile like he sees many other people. When Itachi went to the mansion to go discuss this fairly serious issue his mother told him that Sasuke hasn't been home since Friday afternoon. Really Itachi couldn't decide which he was more pissed at: Sasuke or what Sasuke actually did. The younger Uchiha's safety is, actually, at a high risk when he's out alone for more than a limited amount of time. This was due to his OCD.

Sasuke's OCD is mostly associated with cleanliness and organization. Yet over the years the disorder itself has become a danger to the younger one's physical and mental health. Nowadays it becomes associated with factors unrelated with the original two such as hurting himself. If Sasuke falls down the stairs once his natural reaction tells him, now, to fall down the stairs six more times. If Sasuke accidentally cuts himself with a knife his natural reaction is to cut himself six more times. If Sasuke ends up hitting someone his mind tells him to do it six more times. Not because it would make him feel any better; all it does is complete the ritual within his mind that he follows accordingly. Itachi felt that Naruto, ironically, got off pretty easy. If Sasuke would've stabbed him six more times the blonde would've probably been dead at the scene rather than be in the hospital.

Itachi tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he waited for the light to change. The twenty-one year old truly didn't feel like looking for his brother seeing as how he put an innocent life in a complete death limbo but he wanted to end his mother's fears and worries. Itachi drove and glanced at his cell phone. The fact that he hasn't informed Deidara of how Naruto ended up in the hospital has bothered the older Uchiha. It actually felt like a sin that he hadn't told him. Naruto's well being was the most important thing in Deidara's life and not knowing what damaged the younger Uzumaki's well being is like robbing him of his life.

Once the light turned green Itachi got ready to make a right turn only to have a car smash into the side of his Porsche.

愛

Deidara stared at the television as he placed another forkful of the chicken fettuccine alfredo he discovered while scouring through Itachi's refrigerator. To his surprise, the twenty-one year old actually cooks fairly well. He expected the whole dish to be disgusting even though it is very simple to make.

A loud chime filled the room causing Deidara to mute the television. The nineteen year old looked on the end table to spot a black cordless phone continuously ringing. The blonde retrieved the electronic device and answered the incoming call.

"Hello?"

"Oh, I apologize; I must have the wrong number," was the reply that came from a young woman

Deidara shook his head, "No, I think you have the right number, un. You're calling for Uchiha Itachi, correct?"

The young woman cleared her throat, "Yes, I wanted to discuss with him an unusual withdrawal from a private account; I would like for you to take a message for him but this is fairly urgent. Waiting would result in some unwanted outcomes and conflicts. Are you a trusting friend or relation to Mr. Uchiha?"

The blonde thought for a moment, "Yeah but why not just call his cell phone?"

"He never disclosed that number to us; he only provided this one number. Can you tell him that all of the money in his second private account is completely gone and to call us immediately to update him on further details?"

Deidara nodded, "Sure, will do, un"

The young woman sighed, "Thank you so much; sorry for such a late night call"

"It's not a problem"

"Excellent, have a nice night"

The call ended there. Deidara placed the phone back on top of the end table and removed his Motorola from his pocket.

愛

Itachi opened the door and fell out of the car holding his chest. He winced as the pain flowed throughout his body. He felt like slashing the neck of whoever smacked his car off the road. The twenty-one year old watched as the driver's side of the other car opened and saw the person step out.

"Shit…"

Now Itachi was pissed; who knew exactly whose voice that was. As he struggled to stand up the latter person made a run for it.

Itachi watched as the person ran, "Like hell you're getting away"

Once he was up the Uchiha went after the latter person. It didn't take too long for him to catch up. Once he got a hold of the latter Itachi tackled him onto the sidewalk.

Itachi glared at the person, "Sasuke"

"I didn't do anything!"

"You sent my fucking Porsche into a damn tree! What the _hell_ are you doing out here?"

Sasuke glared at his older sibling, "Why should I tell you? You're not my parent"

"Mother says you haven't been home since Friday"

Sasuke moved himself away from the older one, "What's your point?"

Itachi looked at his younger brother, "I know what you did to Naruto. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I did what I had to do; I hope he chokes on his own blood and dies"

Itachi rolled his eyes and took out his Samsung, "Hello?"

"Well damn, you're already mad at me, un? I didn't even say anything yet"

Itachi released a sigh, "Not that I don't feel any true sympathy for your current situation but what the hell do you want? And are you eating my food again?"

Deidara burped into the phone, "Actually I'm done eating the food you had previously cooked, un. Anyways, a young woman told you to call the bank as soon as possible to discuss a strange withdrawal from your second private account"

"Withdrawal…?"

"Yeah, apparently all the money in the account is gone…"

Itachi dropped his cell phone. He didn't know what he felt like more: infuriated or shocked. Sasuke looked at his brother with a puzzled look. The older one appeared as if their mother was kidnapped. The younger Uchiha retrieved the dropped cell phone and looked at the caller ID; the bank was calling him. Closing the phone he looked up at his brother again.

"Itachi, say something"

Itachi grabbed his phone and opened it, "Just my _fucking_ luck…"

愛

Gaara walked down the frigid hallway of Alkaline Memorial Hospital holding a book in his possession and released a short sigh. He really felt guilty about leading this double life right behind Naruto's back especially with the situations the young Uzumaki has had to witness and go through. Yet in the case of who he was related to he had no choice but to place on a masquerade to keep his friends unsuspecting.

In all truth, Gaara was repulsed at what he was involved with. The Sabaku held self loathe within the boundaries of his heart. Gaara grew up as a strict drug and alcohol activist not by instruction but by choice. With the constant talking about a person dying from being associated with either of the two he figured it would be best to distance away from such situations. Gaara now realizes that the decision didn't sit too well with his elder sibling.

The redhead, technically, lives alone in a two story house. It has been like that ever since he was nine years old. That was the age where Gaara basically lost all hope within his heart. Seeing as how he despised the idea of Gaara growing up a drug activist, Sasori figured that there were specific factors involved in his decision despite the fact that Gaara decided on his own. When Gaara came home on February 14, his birthday, he discovered his mother and father drowning in their blood. With that Sasori began his conditioning for his younger brother.

Teaching Gaara the ropes, however, was not a simple task to accomplish. For one, when Sasori started Gaara refused to cooperate with the older one. After a while of reluctance and full blown resistance Sasori pulled a gun out on his own flesh and blood and gave him an ultimatum: either he learns or he dies. Very much deep in love with his life back then, Gaara accepted to learn the ways of his brother.

With how the outcome came Gaara felt like he was put through Hell and back at least four times. The training he underwent was terribly grueling and utterly disgusting. At times Gaara couldn't believe he was even in relation to Sasori. The teenager would rather slit his own throat instead of having Sasori do it for him if he did something wrong. Gaara got a crash course in how Sasori dealt with traitors and people who mess up badly. The redhead, though, wasn't amazed that Deidara made it through without a threat to his own life. Gaara figured this out at an early age.

When he turned twelve the younger Sabaku remembered the time that Deidara ended up having three duffle bags loaded with crystal meth stolen from his car. Sasori, of course, was pissed off about this and with a massive screw up like that the twenty-two year old would probably twist someone's neck murdering them. Instead Sasori instructed Deidara to stay with him for a week. A week later Deidara was covered in bruises, cuts, and dirt, had two black eyes, a broken shoulder, and could hardly stand up. The, then, fifteen year old remained weak for days.

Deidara was fairly stunning for a male. His skin was silk, his eyes were pure sapphires; his hair was absolute gold. The older Uzumaki was a walking valuable in the hideous drug realm and to delete such a precious gem from society wasn't something Sasori was ready to do. In a way, Gaara noticed that his brother possessed, in his terms, lustful mercy. If Deidara was nowhere near as flawless in his looks and body, he would've never lived to see the age he was at now.

All in all, Gaara believed his brother was absolutely off his lid, out of his mind, all up and over, outright insane. The teenager truly believed that the older Sabaku had a mental disorder or a psychological problem. No person could be molded into such a deviant, vile, conniving, and malevolent creature. There was just no way.

Because of his brother's lifestyle, Gaara took up smoking, drinking, and using meth and every day Gaara would stare in the mirror and be on the verge of tears. He felt like dying, he felt like committing suicide, he felt like hiding away. He didn't want to be this way but every time he tried to stop Sasori would push him back in with threats that he could honestly live up to. It was a rollercoaster that just wouldn't end.

Gaara entered the room and knocked lightly on the door, "Hey…"

Neji looked up at the redhead, "Hey Gaara"

"How's he doing…?"

The Hyuga released a sigh, "Well…he'll be in here for at least a week…if they think he can't leave then he'll be here for two weeks at the most"

The redhead glanced down, "I see…"

"I'm going to kill that damned Uchiha"

Gaara looked up at the male, "Don't do that…you keep forcing yourself to hurt Sasuke he'll just come back harder. The only real thing you can do is make sure he doesn't get to Naruto and cause him harm"

Neji glanced at the younger Uzumaki and back at the redhead, "I guess you're right…"

"…Sasuke hasn't gotten to you has he Neji?"

"Not like that, no…but I always had the premonition he would do something stupid due to us not being friends…didn't know he would end up doing this"

The Sabaku handed over the book to the Hyuga, "I know he's sleeping so you can give him this when he wakes up"

Neji looked at the title, "A Clockwork Orange…wow, he ceases to amaze me. I'm surprised Naruto even wanted to _glance_ in this book. Is it the original version?"

Gaara nodded, "Yeah, all twenty-one chapters intact"

"Thanks Gaara, this will mean so much to him…"

"…No problem Neji…"

愛

Itachi removed himself off of his black Suzuki Hayabusa and leaned it against the garage door. He checked what time it was. It was one o'clock. The older Uchiha dropped Sasuke off at the mansion and since his car was completely totaled he decided to take what he used to use when he was in high school: his motorcycle. Itachi took out his keys and unlocked the front door to the mansion.

Itachi had a lot of hatred for the house that he purchased. When he and Shimeta got married and moved into the wide-scaled home hell just seemed to erupt from every corner. From the time he married her to his age now Itachi never bothered to touch his wife, spend time with her, kiss her; hell he wouldn't even look at her when they were in the house together. They slept in separate rooms. His marriage was horrible and she was just plain annoying to him. Yet for some odd reason Fugaku seemed to favor her for whatever reason that Itachi couldn't figure out at the time. Now, Itachi thinks he has a solid fact of why.

Itachi threw his house keys down on the black leather couch and removed his jacket. The twenty-one year old spotted Shimeta's LG Shine resting on top of the end table. He picked up the sleek phone and began scrolling through her calls. He did notice one thing: she's been conversing with her father-in-law for the past few days. The twenty-one year old made his way upstairs to the second floor and trekked down the hallway to Shimeta's room. When he reached the bedroom door he twisted the knob only to discover that it was locked. Then a creaking sound was heard. Itachi moved back and kicked the door in resulting in a lamp being turned on by Shimeta.

Itachi didn't know whether to be furious or disgusted. There in front of him was Shimeta covering her body with the, now, filthy silk sheets with his father lying there under the covers staring back at his son with no expression. Itachi shot an immediate glare at the Haruno.

Shimeta looked at her husband, "Itachi…it-"

"Whore…," his voice dripped with venom"

"Itachi-"

Itachi tightened his grip around the phone, "Whore!" he threw the sleek phone at the wall making it burst into pieces, "Get the hell out of my house you bitch! Don't even think about taking that car with you and don't even _think_ about coming back here because this house will be gone!"

Tears ran down the Haruno's face, "Bu-"

"Get the fuck out you fucking diseased whore!"

Fugaku looked over at the female, "Go wait downstairs"

Itachi watched as the Haruno wrapped one of the scarlet silk sheets around her and went past him. The twenty-one year old glared at his father.

"You have some fucking nerve"

Fugaku sat up, "I have no idea what you're talking about"

"Don't play fucking dumb with me!" Itachi kicked over an end table, "You fucking played me!"

Fugaku released a sigh and picked up his pants, "Did I really Itachi?" the older Uchiha placed the piece of clothing on him and stood up, "Clarify how I 'played you'"

"…You only used me just so you can fuck her. You only married me to her just so you can get a free fuck every now and then! Hell if you wanted her so bad then you should've left me out of it! Not only that you _stole_ money I was saving up for Sasuke! What gives you the right to do this to me?!"

The older male gave a smirk as he grabbed his shirt, "One thing you need to remember is this Itachi: no matter how old you get, I _own_ you. I control everything you do. I brought you into this world and I can definitely take you out. I made you into what you are and I can literally destroy you," he walked up to his son and gave him a stern look, "Divorce Shimeta and sell me out to your mother and I'll make sure that you end up going through hell for the rest of your life whether I'm alive or dead…"

Itachi couldn't keep up his death glare for long when it came to his father especially now when he found out that he's just a pawn in his father's game. The twenty-one year old went down the hall and descended down the staircase.

Shimeta looked up at her husband, "Itachi…please-"

Itachi grabbed his keys and his jacket, "Don't _fucking_ talk to me…"

With that Itachi opened the door and slammed it on the way out.

愛

Deidara jolted up at the sound of a slamming door. The nineteen year old rubbed his cerulean eyes and glanced over at the digital alarm clock to see that it was three o'clock in the morning. The blonde then heard a series of glasses being broken. Becoming curious the Uzumaki removed himself from the bed and departed from the bedroom. He descended down the stairs to hear the shattering of glass commencing once again and words being shouted into the air.

Deidara entered the living room to see something he never expected. Itachi was hauling vases and glasses towards the wall while screaming 'whore', 'bitch', and 'dumbass' continuously as each object broke sending chipped pieces everywhere. The Uchiha went across the room and pushed down the showcase of glass against the west wall shattering each piece of glass and china that existed inside. The twenty-one year old then started tossing furniture around. Deidara decided to start walking towards the older one.

The Uchiha glared at the blonde with his, now, blood red eyes, "Don't come near me…"

Deidara continued to walk slowly, "Are you okay Itachi…? You're not drunk are you, un?"

Itachi then pulled out a gun, "Get the fuck back!"

The blonde stopped walking, "Itachi-"

"Get away from me!" two tears fell from the Uchiha's eyes, "Stay the fuck away from me!"

Deidara could see more tears escaping the Uchiha's eyes, "Itachi…what's wrong, un? We can talk about this," the blonde took a few slow, steady steps towards the twenty-one year old

Itachi fired a shot but ended up hitting the wall, "Don't come near me!"

"Itachi put the gun down…"

"No and if you take another step I am going to blow your fucking brains out!"

Deidara stopped walking and stood three feet away from Itachi, "…Put the gun down, un…"

Itachi shook his head slowly, "No…"

"Itachi…just put the gun down…and tell me what happened," the blonde took a few more steps until he was only a foot away from the Uchiha, "You can tell me, un…"

The red disappeared from the older one's eyes as more tears fell, "…Don't touch me…"

Deidara placed is hand on the trembling gun and removed the gun from Itachi's possession, "What happened…?"

The blonde watched as the Uchiha grabbed him and buried his face in his chest as he began crying. The sight literally broke the Uzumaki's heart as he dropped the gun on the floor. Deidara never thought that Itachi could actually cry in front of anyone. He figured that the twenty-one year old possessed too much pride to do so. Deidara now realized that the older male wasn't drunk; the stench of alcohol didn't exist on him or in his breath.

The nineteen year old sat down on the floor with the twenty-one year old still crying into his chest. Deidara sat up against the wall and wrapped his arms around the older one. In a way it felt weird but it wasn't wrong in any sense.

"I feel…so…stupid…"

Deidara looked down at Itachi, "What are you talking about, un?"

The older one spoke, "I was just a pawn…he only used me to get what he wanted…he used me to get that horrid _bitch_…to get Sasuke's saving bond…to save his own ass from my mother…and the world…I'm an idiot!"

Deidara watched as the Uchiha violently pushed over the end table next to them and broke the vase that was sitting on top of it, "…It's not your fault…you didn't know, un"

"I should've seen it…it was right in front of my _face_…it was like a fucking elephant was standing in the center of the damn living room!"

The blonde made Itachi look up at him, "It's not your fault. You didn't know; you can't see everything that comes your way. That is how life plays its tricks on you; it takes you for a spin on its perpetual rollercoaster and it literally crashes you into a pit of deception and you just have to fucking deal with it! You cannot beat yourself up for not knowing, you cannot make it your fault! The only thing you can do at this point with this situation is not allow him to get to you…if you allow your father to get to you now…then he will have you until you _die_…," Deidara lightly stroked Itachi's face, "…It's not your fault…"

Deidara captured the older one's lips into light kiss. Itachi kissed back and Deidara could feel the pain the twenty-one year old was feeling. He felt hurt, destroyed, and cursed. The nineteen year old pulled Itachi closer making the kiss deeper and more passionate. The blonde felt like his heart was breaking as each second passed. He could feel the vulnerability that Itachi was feeling. It felt absolutely horrible that it was killing him. In a way, Itachi became a mirror image of himself in only a few hours. There they sat in the darkness in a meaningful kiss as Sunday morning continued on.

* * *

If the ending comes off as weird then please say so because I know it might. I really didn't have an actual way to end it.

Aside from the odd ending how was it? Express to me how great or how corny this chapter really was and yes I am willing to call my own work corny if that's what it is.

Up next: Neji's first day without Naruto at school (he is going to have a horrible day so don't expect him not to get in trouble)

Later: Deidara introduces Itachi to Acid (for anyone who doesn't know what that is that is LSD)


	15. Unfolding Chaos & Growing Connection

Hey everyone. I will warn you now, this is an oddly written chapter. It started out smooth and then something hit and I don't know what went wrong. Maybe you agree with me, maybe not but that's your decision. ONCE again I had to alter my original idea. I didn't plan to have certain things in this chapter such as the whole Itachi and Deidara going to Kakashi thing but as you can see...it's there. Though I will say that after this chapter, Deidara begins to introduce drugs to Itachi which is supposed to bring them together in a way. So just through this chapter and expect a full fledged chapter primarily focused on Itachi and Deidara.

* * *

_Chapter Fifteen: Unfolding Chaos & Growing Connection_

Neji entered through the school doors and made his way to his locker. He decided that it was best not to take the bus seeing as how he would've nearly murdered Sasuke in front of dozens of witnesses. With Naruto in the hospital recovering Neji really didn't know if he was going to make it through the week. By this he didn't know if he would be able to keep his cool around certain people. He knew he would make it out alive. As for others he wasn't so sure on their fate for the next four days.

When the Hyuga reached his locker he placed in his combination and unlocked it. Opening the metal door of the locker Neji unzipped his backpack and started placing in his textbooks. He felt someone standing next to him. Neji looked over to see Tenten.

The Hyuga took out his Trigonometry textbook and placed it in his bag, "What the hell do you want Tenten?"

Tenten pushed a few strands of hair behind her right ear, "I…wanted to know if…Naruto was, you know,-"

Neji grabbed his copy of Catch-22 and slammed the door to his locker, "You have not right to ask me that question…"

"Neji, I'm sorry…I didn't-"

"You shouldn't have messed with him in the first place! If you just would've left the innocent boy alone he wouldn't be in the fucking hospital Tenten!"

The male stormed off away from the female and tried to calm himself down. The last thing he needed was his rage to go out of whack. With frustration still left behind from the hot sauce incident anything was set up to set Neji's anger off.

愛

Deidara stirred from his slumber and released a yawn as his eyes met the bright yellow rays of the sun. Rubbing his eyes the blonde scanned the room to see that the Uchiha was missing. A bit of disappointment and abandonment entered the Uzumaki's heart but nonetheless he rose up from the floor and departed from the, suspiciously, clean living room. He began to wonder how long he's been asleep.

Deidara entered the kitchen to find a shirtless Itachi wearing black cargo pants that were accented with chains that hung loosely from his waist leaning against the counter. A small blush crept up on the nineteen year old's face.

Deidara scratched his head, "Uh…good morning?"

Itachi averted his attention from the coffee maker to the blonde, "Good morning; I was wondering when you would finally get up"

"I'm assuming you cleaned up the living room, un"

Itachi shrugged, "If you call dumping glass out of the window and hoping it landed in the dumpster 'cleaning' then I guess that's what I was doing for the past two hours"

Deidara walked over and opened the refrigerator, "You're feeling better right…?"

"I'm fine…I just need to see how I'm going to adjust to this massive roadblock in my life"

The blonde took out the jug of orange juice and closed the large appliance, "Would you mind going more in depth of exactly what this roadblock is," he opened the jug and drank some of the liquid, "You weren't specifically clear on everything"

Itachi sighed, "I don't really want to discuss it right now," he snatched the jug away, "and stop drinking directly from my cartons and jugs; I don't want to taste your backwash"

"But I don't backwash, un"

The older one sat the jug on the opposite counter, "I won't take your word for it…"

Deidara then noticed that the Uchiha was staring at him, "What?"

"You've never had an actual boyfriend have you?"

The nineteen year old shook his head, "No, I've had boyfriends before"

"No," Itachi pulled the blonde closer so that they stood a few inches apart, "When I use the term 'boyfriend' I mean have you ever had a significant other that didn't only see you for your phenomenal, flawless looks?"

Something about the question made it have an instant hit to the blonde's heart but he didn't understand why. Deidara figured it was just the question itself but when Itachi said it the question was much deeper than just a few empty words. Truthfully, Deidara never remembered having an actual meaningful relationship with any guy. Usually if Deidara was interested in a male he would try and start a relationship yet once the relationship started it was never what Deidara would suspect.

Deidara shook his head slowly, "No…"

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Not one?"

"Not one, un," Deidara turned off the coffee maker, "In fact my looks were, seemingly, the only reason any guy bothered to deal with me. They knew there was more to me than just looks but they just didn't seem to care, un"

Itachi stared intently at the blonde, "That's terrible…"

"…Why the sudden interest in my past relationships?"

Itachi retrieved Deidara's car keys from the blonde's pocket, "Just asking," he departed from the kitchen, "Let's go"

Deidara would've complained about his keys being taken but he was worrying more about Itachi's. He could've _sworn_ that Itachi, in a way, was considering dating him.

愛

Sai glanced over at Neji before turning his attention to Sasuke, "Dude, Hyuga is giving me the creeps; I think you really set him off"

Sasuke glanced up at the trigonometry formulas up on the board and continued writing, "Well he can kiss my ass"

"You know you were out of line on Friday. I mean I have my share of homophobia but you nearly killed Blondie last week on his _birthday_ no less"

"If Uzumaki stayed in his place this relationship wouldn't exist which means this predicament would've never came about," the Uchiha looked over at his counterpart, "For all I care Neji can rot in Hell along with his personal faggot but I'm going to place them there myself…"

Sai flipped over the page and copied down the next set of formulas, "I'm just saying man; I think you really pushed him near the edge this time"

"Not my problem"

愛

Deidara looked at Itachi, "Not to be rude or anything but please explain to me why we're back here, un. I thought we settled this tutoring situation"

Itachi released a small sigh, "Well…with Naruto in the hospital I think it's best that Sasuke receives a new tutor"

The blonde looked at the principal, "I don't understand. Wouldn't it make more sense to just use a replacement until Naruto is released from the hospital?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "…You don't know _how_ Naruto actually ended up in the hospital do you?"

"…What are you talking about, un?"

Kakashi looked at the twenty-one year old, "You didn't tell him how his brother ended up in the hospital?"

Itachi lightly bit his bottom lip, "That's partially the reason why we're here in the first place…"

The Hatake averted his attention to the blonde, "Deidara…Sasuke was the one who gave Naruto the hot sauce and stab wounds"

The nineteen year old went blank, "…What?"

"He bounded Naruto to a chair and gave him the ample amount of hot sauce…I thought Itachi told you but it seems that he got _nervous_ about revealing that significant piece of information"

Itachi looked up at the principal, "The other half for our visit is to assign Sasuke a new tutor for Naruto's sake; the last thing I would want is for Deidara to suffer through one of these incidents again and for Sasuke to get in trouble with the legal system"

"That is the problem," Kakashi leaned forward intertwining his fingers, "Assigning Naruto as Sasuke's tutor was a last resort"

The college students entered confusion, "Last resort?"

The principal nodded, "Yes, you probably have no actual knowledge of this Itachi but your brother has been through a number of tutors since his first two years of high school for subjects he has been struggling in. Each one requested to resign as his personal tutor due to a variety of reasons such as him being disrespectful or never actually showing up for the sessions," he then shrugged, "We figured that if we provided Sasuke a student tutor who is within his grade or a senior he would be better off for this year…but the previous students we requested to serve as a tutor for Sasuke rejected. With Naruto basically at the top of every class except geometry I suggested that he would suit perfectly despite his constant feud with Sasuke"

Deidara glared at the authority, "Are you telling me that you knowingly placed my younger brother in danger, un?"

Kakashi thought for a moment before speaking, "In a way you could see it as that"

"What the hell is your fucking problem?! Thanks to your dumbass decision my brother is lying there in the hospital probably dying!"

Itachi stared adamantly at Kakashi, "I'm pretty sure there could've been other options Mr. Hatake"

The principal shook his head, "Itachi, when I say that your brother was difficult he was an absolute handful. He wouldn't listen to any teacher who tutored him, any college student that came he basically made them feel incompetent, and everyone else who was a current junior or senior rejected the offer. The only reason Naruto even agreed was due to the fact that it was instructed by their World History teacher, Umino Iruka. Naruto has very high respect for the staff here so if he is requested to do something, no matter how much he despises the task, he'll carry it out as specified"

"…So there is basically no one else to tutor him…?"

"Well besides you, his brother, no there is no one else though knowing that you have a fairly active job I wouldn't want to give you the task of doing that which is why I placed Naruto with him…I knew that the two of them hated one another but I never thought that Sasuke would go as far as physically hurting Naruto to the point of death. With the physical altercation they faced during one of their sessions and the bus altercation I didn't expect the situation to skip a step and go straight for his allergy"

Itachi and Deidara glanced at one another and up at the principal, "There was a session altercation?"

愛

Sai sat there in English III listening to his teacher give another droning lecture concerning Catch-22. His short attention span for the lecture was in no way relevant to his interest. In fact Sai was deeply interested in the classic American novel but he was focusing more on the tension that existed between Sasuke and Neji. Even if it was the second class of the day he could sense in the air that something was going to unravel today. In a way Sai could see the anger from both sides despite the fact that he was, primarily, Sasuke's friend.

On Neji's side, Sai could see that the face of death was somewhat staring Naruto in the face as he lied there in the hospital in his critical condition. Sai had some recognition that Naruto was the only person Neji had left in this world. The Hyuga's parents didn't want anything to do with him and Neji hardly ever saw any of his relatives including the people who pay for his shelter and expenses. Neji had no true friends anymore, he wasn't naturally popular like he was in the past, and he had no actual siblings. The only close known relative around his age, Hinata, didn't even live in his area. She was housed in Kyoto with here family. When Naruto entered his life the Uzumaki served as Neji's light. Now with the possibility of Naruto kissing death, Sai noticed a drastic change in Neji's demeanor. The Hyuga was no longer calm; he was more furious and unsettled.

On Sasuke's side, Sai could see that Sasuke was going through some psychological battle within his mind. In the beginning, besides Itachi, Sasuke only had Neji as a friend. Back then Sasuke was much closed with his personality and hardly associated with anyone. Neji just happened to be the lucky winner to break through Sasuke's barricade and become best friends with him. Once fifth grade came up on the scene Sai still remained an associate to Sasuke. That was when Sasuke finally caught on that Neji was gay and had feelings towards Naruto. When the Uchiha witnessed his best friend leaving him for the Uzumaki it must've struck a chord within him. Sai believed that Sasuke never got over the fact that Neji did that and on top of that Sai believes that he is Neji's replacement rather than Sasuke's novelty best friend.

Sai tapped his pencil on the top of his copy of the novel. The last thing he wanted to see was for Neji to immediately snap. All that would do is recreate the massive rage that the Hyuga had in middle school and the Simashi didn't want to witness such a horrific experience again in his natural life. Not only would the situation scare the hell out of him, the sudden rage would cause Neji to be an instant danger to everyone in the school including the staff.

The intercom sounded, "Simashi Sai, please report to Principal Hatake's office"

Sai raised an eyebrow, "Principal's office?"

Sasuke looked over at him, "C'mon," he stood up, "I'm coming with you"

愛

"So Naruto and Sasuke were already previously injured before arriving at school on Monday?" Itachi leaned back in his chair

Kakashi nodded, "That is correct; after an exchange of words the bus altercation arose"

Deidara released a drawn out sigh, "I don't believe this, un…"

"I am deeply sorry Deidara for your current situation but I honestly had no choice but to place the two together"

"Whatever"

The door opened revealing Sai, "You asked for me Mr. Hatake?"

Kakashi picked up his pen, "Yes Sai please c-…Sasuke what are you doing out of class?"

Sasuke turned his attention to the principal, "I got bored," he looked over at his brother, "and what are you doing here?"

Itachi glared at his sibling, "You have no shame…"

"I sure don't"

Kakashi sighed, "Basically Sai I was going to do this for you first but since Sasuke is already here then I can do it for both of you," the authority stared at the duo intently, "You two are here by suspended for fifteen days"

Sai began to panic, "Fifteen days?! Mr. Hatake, I don't understand!"

"Well after deliberating with the two vice principals we have reached the decision to allow you both to be suspended for a total of fifteen days for the end result of what happened with Naruto"

Sasuke glared at the authority, "That little shit got what he deserved…"

"Sasuke, shut up!" Sai looked back at Kakashi, "Mr. Hatake, I can't be suspended!"

"I'm sorry Sai but I received information from Ino, Sakura, and Tenten that you helped Sasuke plan the prank that happened to Naruto last Friday. Even if you had no knowledge of Sasuke's true intentions you still assisted in the prank and for that you get your share of the punishment," Kakashi gave the younger Uchiha a stern look, "As for you Sasuke, you received a lenient punishment. At first all three of us were currently suggesting expulsion due to the severity of the situation but we decided to allow you to continue attending this school…"

Deidara looked at Kakashi, "Why not allow Sai to tutor Sasuke, un?"

The principal bit his lip, "Sai's home situation is special which refrains us from allowing that to happen and we wouldn't want him to take out his own school time to assist another student…that will only prohibit him from completing his own studies," Kakashi turned his attention to Itachi, "Would you consider Sai to serve his suspension at the Uchiha manor rather than his own home? I will be sure to inform his parents of the situation"

Itachi nodded, "Of course"

Sai looked at the Hatake, "What about-"

Kakashi interrupted, "The girls have received the same amount of days as you two are receiving…I'm pretty sure three weeks out of school will be enough to think over what you've done. If I decide to lower the suspension days then I will phone Itachi and your parents to notify them"

愛

Naruto turned the page in the book that Gaara gave him for his birthday. The blonde was using the novel as a much needed distraction from his anticipative thoughts. Knowing his boyfriend well, Naruto had a feeling that Neji was completely dysfunctional for school but he knew that the Hyuga went anyway. The Uzumaki didn't want Neji to suffer suspension especially with the college he wants to attend.

A knock sounded making Naruto look up from his reading material, "…What are you doing here?"

The drug lord gave the teenager a smirk as he entered the room, "I see that the little Uzumaki is about to reward Death with a gracious kiss on the lips"

Naruto glared at the older one, "Get away from me or I'll call Deidara!"

"Please, your brother is practically afraid of me," Sasori walked over to the blonde and gave him a light slap on the face, "So let's talk…"

Naruto closed his book, "What do you want? You already ruining my brother; I don't think there's possibly anything else you can do to hurt me…"

Sasori picked up the book, "On contraire Naruto, there are _plenty_ of possibilities I can use and manipulate to cause you any type of pain I want, primarily psychological. You and I both know that you're beginning to be sick in the head from your brother's 'new hobbies'"

The adolescent hated to admit it but it was true. Ever since Sasori worked his way into the nineteen year old's life, Naruto was beginning to feel like he was going into an infinite spiral of lies, agony, and insanity. The younger Uzumaki has begun having fairly disturbing nightmares that he has kept secret from Deidara for years on end. He has heard so many lies spew out from his brother that he continuously questions if the older Uzumaki truly cares about his well being. Deidara's newly adapted addiction to drugs caused Naruto's heart to become black. At times the younger one couldn't look his brother in the face without wanting to shed a tear.

Naruto's glare became more piercing, "What the fuck do you want…?"

Sasori gave him a smirk, "Nothing, just a small favor as all but I will say that if you don't fulfill this simple task that extreme consequences will follow"

"Fine whatever; what is it?"

Sasori pulled out his cell phone and tossed it to the blonde, "Your brother hasn't been picking up his phone"

Naruto shrugged, "So? It's not my business what he does with his property"

"I've come to the conclusion that your brother is about to change his cell phone number along with the house number. When you do see your brother again please inform him that he must come to see me tomorrow night for an update on his current assignment. Along with that being said I would like you to return my cell phone to me tonight when you retrieve both new numbers. I'm sure we won't have any issues concerning that now would we?"

Naruto picked up the cell phone, "…Of course not"

Sasori flashed a fake smile, "That's excellent"

Naruto looked away from the older one, '_This son of a bitch is going to destroy my brother_'

愛

Neji stared at the drawing he was doing as he used the pencil to create light, clean lines. It was a picture of Naruto. Releasing a sigh the Hyuga placed down the pencil and picked up the piece of charcoal. He began to use the tool to go over the lightly drawn lines. Neji knew he shouldn't be torturing himself like this yet the more he tried to think that Naruto was getting better the more he felt like the blonde was going to die at any moment.

The door to the art classroom was busted into revealing Sasuke, "Where the fuck is he?!"

Ino looked up at the Uchiha, "Sasuke…what-"

The male spotted the Hyuga, "You…," the Uchiha made his way over to Neji and punched him, "Thanks to your punk ass boyfriend I've been suspended!"

Neji jabbed the Uchiha in the stomach, "If it wasn't for your damn stunt he wouldn't be in the fucking hospital!"

The students in the classroom glanced around the room. What seemed like the safest way for things to operate: let them fight or try to stop it?

愛

Deidara was sitting on the bed staring at the television. He really didn't know how to take how Naruto ended up in the hospital. Sure Itachi didn't tell him; the nineteen year old was fairly angry about that but at the same time he could see that Itachi didn't want him to become fixated primarily on Naruto's recovery. Yet the fact that his brother was placed within harm's way really made him furious with the staff even though they had no other choice. It was a confusing situation.

Deidara heard the door open, "Go away, un…"

Itachi walked over and sat down on the bed, "Sorry, since I own this place you don't have that option available to you"

"This is horrible…"

"You can't start thinking like that; I promised Naruto I wouldn't go crazy over this situation," Itachi looked at him, "All you need to do is relax yourself"

Deidara changed the channel, "You didn't tell me, un…"

Itachi looked at him, "Naruto didn't want you to worry so I didn't tell you. Yes it was wrong but your brother wanted you to keep your sanity for the week"

"Whatever…"

愛

Naruto's eyes widened, "Neji got suspended?"

Konan nodded, "He's actually lucky that he didn't get expelled"

"They were considering expulsion…?"

Konan handed Naruto his book, "Yes due to what he almost did…I think Sasuke really got to him"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Sasuke? You know him?"

"Oh yes, I know his brother. Apparently Sasuke was going to get expelled for placing you here in the hospital but instead he received fifteen days out of school suspension," Konan poured some water from the pitcher into her cup, "He stormed into the art classroom, got in Neji's face, and the fight began from there"

Naruto drank a little bit of water, "So what did Neji do…?"

"Well apparently your boyfriend is always well prepared for situations such as these. Not only did he hurt Sasuke he also stabbed him twice and nearly killed him with his bare hands. Seeing as how Sasuke planned on nearly killing you Neji decided it was time to return the favor," she looked up at the blonde, "Speaking of that, what did the doctors say?"

"They said I might have a chance but they haven't officially validated yet; I have to wait later on in the week"

Naruto sighed, _'Oh Neji…'_

愛

Deidara changed the channel yet again, "There's nothing on, un…"

Itachi walked out of the bathroom and took off his shirt, "There's over nine thousand channels; I'm pretty sure you can find something"

The blonde blushed, "Put your shirt back on…"

"If you don't want to see then don't pay attention," the Uchiha threw the shirt on a lone chair and sat down on the bed"

The nineteen year old began flicking through the channels, "Well I'm gay so I think that's kind of hard"

Itachi gave the blonde a smirk, "So you're saying that my appearance pleases you?"

"I never said that, un!"

"But you were implying it," Itachi leaned his back against the backboard, "You must be attracted to me in some way seeing as you admitted it"

Deidara looked over at the twenty-one year old, "Well yeah, I do, un. I won't sit here and that I don't. I know what I want to do but the only question that races through my mind is if rejection is a possible outcome…"

Itachi retrieved the remote, "Well you'd never know that unless you tried; is that not right?"

The Uzumaki hated when the Uchiha turns out to be right. The blonde captured the older one's lips forming a chaste kiss. The twenty-one year old transformed the innocent kiss into a passionate one as his tongue was accepted entrance. Deidara was waiting for the rejection to arrive but it never came. As the blonde pulled away the Uchiha followed trying to gain possession once again. As Deidara lied on his back he pulled the older one into another small kiss.

Itachi grazed his lips down the Uzumaki's slender neck, "I don't know what you did…but for whatever damned reason in this world…you fascinate me"

Deidara stared up at the ceiling, "Why be fascinated with a person who is part of a grotesque system?"

"You should not judge an individual by the life they are a part of…"

The blonde traced his finger down the Uchiha's arm, "…Words to live by, un…"

愛

Naruto glanced down at his hands as he spoke into the phone, "Neji, you really didn't have to do that"

The Hyuga released a sigh, "I know…I was angry and I think he deserved it after what he tried to do. Even _after_ I received my punishment he still messed with me. He vandalized my locker, he placed a dent in my car; Naruto he left a decapitated dog on my doorstep"

The blonde shook his head, "Well…I'll come over when I get out of the hospital"

"Speaking of that did they say if you'll be alright?"

"They said I'll probably know around tomorrow," the Uzumaki looked up to see the drug lord, "I'll talk to you later," he placed the phone on the receiver, "I got the number…a person Deidara knows gave it to me"

Sasori retrieved his cell phone off the end table, "Excellent…who was this friend?"

Naruto shrugged, "Some girl, I don't know her name"

"No matter; at least I can contact him"

The high school student watched the older one walk out and he released a short sigh. He felt as if he was going to hand his older brother a death sentence. One thing that Naruto was taught to remember is that Sasori had no knowledge of Deidara's college life. The drug lord had no knowledge of Deidara's aspirations, he didn't know who Konan was, and he certainly didn't have any idea that Itachi just happened to attend the same college as Deidara. If Sasori were ever to find out Naruto could already see Deidara's death within the hour.

Naruto glanced over at the clock; it read 9:40 PM. To think that in one day that Neji would receive suspension, the feud between Neji and Sasuke would only worsen, Deidara finds out the truth behind his landing in the hospital, and Sasori visits. The blonde felt like chaos was about to unfold somewhere. He had a feeling that one action, one moment will alter everyone's lives. It would alter his, his brother's, the Uchihas, Neji; everyone affiliated with him will be affected.

Naruto looked up at the tiled pattern on the ceiling, "So…who will be the one to initiate the chaos…?"

Well that's chapter fifteen! Please tell me if this was oddly written. It tells me that my school life is beginning to somewhat affect my writing a little. Thanks to school, sleep has not been a normal existing factor...anyways criticism always helps.

Next: Deidara introduces Itachi to his first drug- LSD

Later: Naruto's release from the hospital, Sasuke's plan, and Itachi's lesson in drunk driving all in one chapter


	16. Initiation

Hello everyone! Okay, this chapter was meant to be short; it's between 3000 to 4000 words. In this chapter Itachi is introduced to his first drug, LSD. There's a lot of dialogue and explanation in here and yes it's important...for Itachi anyway. So here is chapter 16!

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_Chapter Sixteen: Initiation_

Itachi was sitting on his bed watching television as Deidara lied beside him asleep. For the past two days the two college students have gotten along a little bit better. They didn't want to kill one another anymore; that was a start. Yet one thing that often entered the Uchiha's mind was the blonde's lifestyle. Sure Deidara was in college but most of his life was consumed of his activity in the drug world. He transported drugs, sells drugs, and uses drugs. It was illegal. It was wrong. It was disgusting. It was the type of life Itachi wanted.

The twenty-one year old became tired of his clean cut atmosphere. The only thing he has ever done wrong was drive his father's vintage Jaguar off the interstate. It was the very first time Itachi felt the rush of adrenaline and danger. It was an ounce of excitement. Yes it was wrong but he enjoyed himself. He was growing tired of his life; it was boring. All he did was work and when he wasn't working at his job, he was doing college assignments. Other than that he had nothing better to do.

"Is there something you would like to discuss, un?"

Itachi looked over at the blonde, "What are you talking about?"

Deidara sat up and sat Indian-style, "Well you're staring off into nothing again like you have been lately so I'm just wondering"

"…When did you start doing drugs?"

Deidara raised his eyebrow, "Wow…where to begin, un? Well I didn't do it by choice; my dad made me start getting into that stuff after my mom died. I didn't start out with drugs though; I started out with smoking"

愛 _April 19, 1997 _愛

_Eight year old Deidara glanced around at the small group of adults conversing with one another. He truly felt out of place but his father forced him to sit there. The last thing he wanted to do was to disobey him and get punished severely. He really wanted his mother right now but she was no longer around. She now existed among the heavens in the afterlife. He glanced over at his father and hate entered the young child immediately. He knew that his father was some way involved with her death. He didn't know what he did but he knew his father did something._

_Kemuri laughed and looked over at the blonde child, "Oh Arashi your son seems bored; we should include him in our fun"_

_Ryoku nodded, "We should Arashi; after all, didn't you say you were going to teach him the ropes?"_

_Arashi nodded, "I stay true to my word when it comes to Deidara here," he ruffled the child's hair around, "This here is my pride and joy"_

_Deidara shook his head making all the loose, long strands of golden hair fall back into its place. He hated when his father did that. He hated the fact that he would excuse the fact that he had two sons rather than just one. It was frustrating to see such neglect happen right in front of him._

_Kai held out his lit cigarette. "Go ahead Deidara"_

_Deidara stared at the toxic object held before him. He knew what smoking did to you and after learning he didn't want any part of it. _

"_Go ahead Deidara," Arashi patted his son on the head, "Take it"_

_Remaining silent and reluctant Deidara retrieved the cigarette and did as his father instructed. Placing the end in his mouth Deidara inhaled and exhaled releasing a cloud of dirty smoke into the still air. The eight year old could see all eyes on him as if they were waiting for him to cough uncontrollably. _

"_My word Arashi, your son is amazing. Not one cough," Kai sat back into the couch_

_Arashi gave a smile, "That's my son…"_

愛 _Present Day _愛

"After that came marijuana…then weed…then I started getting into the hard stuff but yeah. That's pretty much how I got started"

"So how did the drinking thing start?"

"My father taught me binge drinking and I've drank ever since then; it's like second nature, un"

Itachi looked at the blonde, "What about being gay?"

"That was on my own," the blonde looked down, "My father disapproved of homosexuality…at one point he suspected me and I told him I wasn't, un. If he found out I was gay he would've killed me and I didn't feel like dying prematurely"

"You make it sound like you know when you're going to die"

Deidara gave a small smile, "I don't know exactly what age but I know I'll die before I hit twenty-six…Anyways, why so interested in my life, un? It's not all that great"

"…Your life is better than mine; I'd rather do drugs and have an early death sentence rather than living long in a bland and controlled lifestyle"

The nineteen year old stared at the older one, "Now that's crazy, un"

"No it's not…I'm tired of living a life that was planned out from the time I was born. I want to live a life that _I _want; not a life that someone wanted me to live," Itachi gave the blonde an adamant look, "I want you to introduce me to your world"

Horror struck in the younger one's heart and he shook his head, "No, absolutely not, un! I refuse to introduce you to drugs and the dangers of alcohol. All that's going to do is hurt you…"

In a way the nineteen year old knew he sounded like a hypocrite. He was already hurting the Uchiha just by being around him. Yet despite the hypocrisy that was floating in the air Deidara didn't want to introduce drugs to the older one. He would feel guilty if drugs robbed the older one of his life.

Deidara got off the bed and walked into the bathroom, "I'm not doing it, un"

Itachi followed the young blonde, "And why not?"

"I just told you," Deidara went over to the sink and began washing his hands, "I'm not going to allow you to throw away your restricted life just so you can get your hands on drugs. You're already smoking pot; I think you can stick with that and get on with your life as planned, un"

The twenty-one year old pushed down the handle making the water flow cease, "Since when were you concerned about the welfare of my life?"

The blonde wiped his hands off on the crimson towel and departed from the room, "Just because we have our distinct, mutual differences doesn't mean I don't give a fuck about your life and well being"

Itachi came out of the bathroom and closed the bedroom door, "But it's my life is it not?"

Deidara looked at the Uchiha, "Yes it is, un"

"As you have clearly seen, I don't give a fuck about my life"

"But you do give a fuck about your mother and your brother; how would they feel if they found out that you died from an overdose?"

"Don't pull that card on me damnit; I know the consequences behind all actions I plan to take"

"Then don't involve me, un!"

"But you're already here so you have no choice but to do so"

Deidara really didn't feel like arguing about this with Itachi. As much as he hated to always admit, the Uchiha was right. He was here and he knew what drugs did the most damage. If he decided to step out after Naruto was released from the hospital all the Uchiha would do is hunt him down and he didn't feel like dealing with that kind of situation. The older one would find him in less than six hours.

"…Fine," the blonde grabbed his keys off the end table and opened the door, "C'mon"

Itachi followed the blonde down the staircase, "Where are we going?"

"My apartment, un"

Itachi retrieved the keys to the apartment off the chair near the door and followed the blonde out, "You sound upset"

Deidara pressed the down button on the elevator, "I am; this is absolutely stupid, un," the doors parted and he pulled the Uchiha inside, "And you call me the idiot," he pressed the ground floor button, "Any person with sense knows that drugs is no way to add meaning to their life"

Itachi leaned against the wall, "Everyone has a life of their own; how they feel they should alter it is their decision until death overcomes them"

Deidara decided not to respond to that declaration. There was no need to. It was a fact of life that everyone needed to learn. In short the Uchiha was stating that everyone is in charge of their destiny until death. If a person's destiny was to take up Psychology in college instead of Dance as planned prior by themselves or others then that's what they were destined to take on. Deidara didn't believe that the older one's destiny was to take up drugs but then again he couldn't say that; it wasn't his life.

The two departed from the elevator and the blonde spoke, "Do as you please then…"

Itachi lead the blonde out of the apartment, "I plan to"

Deidara opened the car door to the Corvette and entered on the driver's side, "Question, why do you have a ground floor, un? You don't even use it"

"I know," Itachi entered in on the passenger's side, "Every apartment in this neighborhood has one; I just choose to use mine as an entrance and nothing more"

Deidara started the car, "Interesting…"

And he wasn't being sarcastic.

愛

Itachi seriously felt like punching Deidara. The older one knew what was ahead for him if he decided to take up drugs for recreational use. He wasn't stupid. He knew it was illegal and he knew it was dangerous. Most of all, he truly didn't care. As long as it separated him from his clean cut life he was all for it and the blonde agreed.

Now the blonde was changing his mind.

The blonde was asking for a death sentence.

"Let me inside damnit"

Deidara shook his head, "No, forget it; I won't do it," he leaned against his front door, "You really don't need this, un"

Itachi stood in front of the nineteen year old, "You can't tell me what I need"

"Yes I can! What you need is help, not drugs! That's something I can tell you!"

"How can you tell me? Look at you!"

"You can't start!"

"You can't _stop_!" the older one pushed the blonde making him hit the door, "How can you tell me?"

"I've been there"

"You're _still_ there"

Deidara glared at the Uchiha, "Well I don't care, un. I'm not doing it"

"If you do it then I'll give you the thing you've always wanted"

"You can't bring my mother back"

"That's not what I'm talking about asshole and besides, that's not the thing you've always wanted"

The blonde walked past him, "How can you tell me what I want?"

Itachi turned around, "You do want your mother back but you know fully that nothing in this world can restore the air she used to breathe in this world. No, what you want is for someone other than your brother to love you and for that same person to accept your feelings"

Deidara looked at the older one, "You can't give me that and you can't accept that; we _hate_ each other"

Itachi grabbed the blonde, "Is that so? I have let you near me, I have talked to you, I haven't rejected you or your advances; I let you into my home, I've listened to your problems. I have accepted your life, who you are, and your existence; if you haven't _fucking_ noticed, I'm the _closest_ thing you have to anyone even loving the fact that you're on this earth. So tell me dumbass, exactly how much do I hate you?"

Deidara hated this. Itachi was right. The Uchiha was the closest he has ever gotten to any guy overlooking the fact that he was graced with attractive looks. The Uchiha, in his own way, demonstrated kindness and compassion so he must not despise him as much as he thought in the beginning. It wasn't love; it was far from that but it was past liking him. After the constant times the blonde gave the older one kisses each one went accepted and didn't suffer rejection as he expected.

Drugs in exchange for love; it sounded disgusting. To graciously give someone a death sentence in exchange for something that will die along with the person. In truth, Deidara did want Itachi to love him. He didn't want to force him to do it but that is what he wants. So what was more important: his wants or Itachi's needs? Deidara wanted love, Itachi needed love. If Deidara decides to give the drugs then Itachi will try and hold up his end of the bargain. If he didn't give the drugs then there was no way Itachi would retrieve the actual thing he needs which is love and help. He'll just end up committing suicide.

Deidara pulled his arm away and took out his keys, "Fine…," he went over to the front door and unlocked it.

He chose wants. In the end they both get what the wanted. The question, though, was if they would both get what they needed in the end also?

Deidara entered the apartment and tossed the keys onto the couch, "Just sit on one of the couches; I'll be right back, un"

Itachi did as he was told. He sat down on the black velvet couch and picked up the lone iPhone that rested on the end table. The electronic was in excellent condition but it no longer worked. Placing the phone back in its place the older one began observing the place. For a person who used drugs the place was absolutely spotless. Everything was in order and the apartment possessed a crisp, clean smell.

Deidara came back rolling a large glass board, "Yes I know, my place is clean, un"

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "What's with the glass board?"

"I can't just upright give you a drug; you need basic information before I even think about doing that"

The blonde picked up the thin red dry erase marker and wrote the word 'UPPERS' on the left side of the board. He then retrieved the black marker and wrote the word 'DOWNERS' on the right side. He placed both markers down and retrieved a green marker.

"Here is your introduction: uppers and downers"

"What is the purpose of me learning this now?"

Deidara underlined the word 'UPPERS' with the green marker, "This is important in the world of drugs, un. You wouldn't want to die right after your first drug; you'd want to enjoy it. Now," the blonde wrote as he spoke, "an upper is a stimulant that increases energy and decreases appetite," he looked at the older one, "Uppers cause a massive amount of energy to be exerted in forms of excess movement caused by environment or psychological disposition allowing action and for someone to be 'loosened up'. This massive amount of energy then leads to a drop in appetite"

Itachi took off his shoes, "What do you me by psychological disposition?"

"Any psychological effect that results from the upper such as horrific hallucinations that can cause the person to scream and run around uncontrollably," the blonde began writing the drugs under the category, "The drugs that are considered to be uppers are cocaine, crack-cocaine, prescription drugs, speed, ecstasy, methamphetamine, methcathinone, and 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine"

Itachi was impressed, "…You have such extensive knowledge…your father taught you all of this?"

Deidara shook his head as he retrieved the blue marker, "No, I had to learn a majority of this information on my own as well as taking in most of these drugs. The farthest he got was teaching me about crystal meth," he began writing under 'DOWNERS', "A downer is a depressant that diminishes major activity within the central nervous system resulting in a calm, sedative state that is pleasurable and relaxing to the user," he began writing the drugs, "Drugs that are considered downers are heroin, methadone, methaqualone, Xanax, painkillers, alcohol, diazepam, ketamine, and date rape drugs. Got that?"

"I think so; continue"

"Well…I guess I can give you the drug now, un"

Itachi removed himself from the couch and followed Deidara into the kitchen. Everything in the room was just a tidy as the living room. The table and counter were polished, the china and silverware were in place; the floor was clean enough to eat off of.

Deidara opened the door to the refrigerator, "Are you still admiring the cleanliness of my apartment, un?"

"I just pictured a drug user's home to be…chaotic and messy"

The blonde pulled out two bottles of root beer and led the older one back into the living room, "I can't have the place dirty; with Naruto living with me he needs a stable, clean home, un," he placed the bottles of soda on the black cherry wood coffee table, "Life for him is chaotic enough"

Itachi glanced at the bottles, "Why are we having soda?"

"This is your first drug"

"Soda?"

"No, un. The drug is _in_ the soda"

"So what's in the soda?"

Deidara went over to the board and erased it, "Excellent question," he retrieved the orange marker and wrote the name of the drug at the top of the board, "Lysergic acid diethylamide better known as LSD or 'Acid'"

"Wasn't LSD introduced as use for psychiatric treatment?"

"Well yes, un. That was the primary use but then people found other uses for it like," Deidara wrote a name under the drug to the left side of the board, "Aldous Huxley. Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World experimented with psychadelic drugs like Acid. See, even some of the most intellectual people of our time have used drugs. Now, 'Acid' can be distributed in a few ways," he began writing the different ways, "'Acid' can be placed on a sugar cube, inserted into a liquid, or in a stunning design on blotting paper which is soaked, left to dry, and then torn apart for distribution"

Itachi was astounded. He didn't figure that this much information was needed to consume a drug. It sounded like unnecessary jargon but had a feeling he needed to know this for future reference. Deidara went to the right of the board and began writing down the effects.

"By taking 'Acid' you will primarily experience psychadelic hallucinations, decrease in heart rate, persperation, euphoria, and increased levels of blood sugar. Those are just some of the main ones. There's also numbness, weakness, and goosebumps as well as increased production of mucus and saliva. Psychological effects vary upon person and dosage"

Itachi picked up one of the bottles, "So LSD is in this bottle of root beer?"

"Yeah pretty much, un"

"How do you store that in here without having Naruto get a hold of it?"

"Oh that was the easy part; I got Naruto addicted to Dr. Pepper. It's now his all time favorite soda and the _only_ soda he'll drink. He refuses to drink any other type of soda," Deidara sat next to the twenty-one year old, "I tried to give him a Sprite once and he cringed and swated it away, un. It was the same reaction I received when I tried to give him other sodas"

"So what does he drink when all the Dr. Pepper is gone?"

"He tries to find more; I swear I think I accidentaly made him addicted to caffine but I think that's just me. If he doesn't find any Dr. Pepper," the blonde retrieved the other bottle and opened it, "then he just starts drinking other stuff until I buy another case of it. He'll drink juice, milk, coffee; anything that'll hold him over until he gets the taste of those twenty-three flavors again"

The blonde glanced over at Itachi and saw the older one removed the cap off the bottle. Deidara really didn't like this. A massive change was going to erupt once the twenty-one year old placed a drop of the delicious liquid on the tastebuds of his tongue. The blonde placed his hand on the Uchiha's wrist.

"You do know that once you start this there's a chance you might not get out…right?"

Itachi stared adamantly at the blonde, "I'm aware…and if I don't get out then I'll die in bliss"

Deidara released his wrist. To die in bliss in the end was what the Uchiha wanted. Only time would tell if that would happen.

愛

Laughter rang out during the thirty-five minutes the two college students lied there on the floor in the living room. The source of laughter was the clean cut Uchiha himself. Deidara, laughing a little himself, was amazed that such a sound could erupt from the twenty-one year old. The sound was gorgeous music to his ears through the disgusting smell of sweat that lingered in the air.

'Acid' affected them slightly different. For Deidara, he usually refrained from moving due to absolute weakness. Movement was usually the farthest from this mind. Sweat came out of his pores like waterfalls, and fever set in after ten minutes. Euphoria wasn't frequent but it came around once in a while.

From Deidara's observation 'Acid' seemed to transform Itachi into a different person. Euphoria slammed down within the older one immediately and perspiration was released instantly. Weakness didn't overcome him though. He was able to move more than his blonde counterpart but chose not to. Instead he lied there enjoying his first taste of his anticipated bliss.

For Deidara it felt odd. A young male who was admired by all females worldwide for his appearance and praised by everyone else for his sophistication and ethics was lying here on his living room floor experiencing the physical effects of a psychadelic drug. The oddity was great yet, to the nineteen year old, it seem to fit.

Cerulean eyes glanced up to see the Uchiha hovering over him.

"I see you're having fun with this, un…"

Itachi ran his fingers down the blonde's face, "I am," he released a small laugh and gave the blonde a small kiss, "…Thank you…"

Deidara really didn't know if 'thank you' is what he deserved. He's willingly introducing drugs to the son of the most powerful CEO in Japan.

"You're welcome…"

He finally had him.

Now the original plan was about to commence.

There you have it. Deidara has finally introduced drugs to Itachi! So how was it? Yes I know it's short but, as I said, it was meant to be short. Initiation into anything really doesn't take an extensive amount of time unless it deals with sororities and fraternities (in my view anyway)

Next: Sasuke's plan, Naruto's release, and Itachi's drunk driving lesson

Later: Itachi's binge drinking lesson


	17. Planning, Releasing, Viewing, Teaching

**Man this took me forever to write...between schoolwork and writer's block this chapter gave me hell. Anyways, the point is that I'm done with it! Woot! Yay for me! Trust me this chapter sent me through Hell a few good times especially the beginning and the chapter title. The chapter title was murder. Anyways despite the long time it took me to type this thing (pretty sure it was like two or three weeks...or felt like it anyways) the chapter is self-explanatory: there is planning, there is releasing, there is viewing, and there is teaching. You can probably guess what planning, releasing, and teaching pertain to but the viewing part is something I decided to add in thanks to my friend, Sydney. She helped me out a lot through the writer's block. So here it is, the long awaited chapter seventeen! Enjoy!

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_Chapter Seventeen: Planning, Releasing, Viewing, Teaching_

Sunlight flooded the living room of the Uzumaki apartment. The nineteen year old stirred from his slumber and released a yawn. The blonde looked around to see that the Uchiha was no longer in sight. Deidara stood up and brushed himself off as he entered the kitchen. The blonde saw Itachi…cooking breakfast; the Uchiha was actually cooking in his kitchen. He thought he was dreaming. Walking over next to the older one the nineteen year old glanced around at the non-stick pans that existed on the stove.

Itachi glanced up and placed down the knife, "Good morning"

Deidara felt odd, "You're…cooking…for me?"

"Pretty much; I'm not eating," the Uchiha retrieved the pans and began placing the food on the plate, "I figure since you've never had any male treat you like a decent human being I figure the first way to display such love to you is by feeding you actual food. I can't believe you and your brother are living off of microwavable foods, lunchmeat, and ramen"

The blonde glanced at the food, "…Thank you, un…"

"It's no trouble…," he handed the plate to the blonde, "Now, where the hell is the bathroom in this place?"

"…It's upstairs to the left?"

"You're not sure of where your own bathroom is?"

"It's…upstairs…to the right?"

"How can you live here and-"

"It's upstairs two doors down to the left!"

Itachi took off his jacket, "Are you okay?"

No, Deidara was _not_ okay. He knew what he was agreeing to but this was too weird. Itachi cooked him _breakfast_. Not only that, since when in the _hell_ could Itachi cook? Not only that, he was being…nice. It made the blonde shake a little bit. The Uchiha cooked, said 'good morning', last night he said 'thank you'.

Deidara felt like…like…

Itachi picked up the empty pan and smacked Deidara on the head, "Hey you dumb blonde; are you awake?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, un"

"What's wrong with you?" he placed the pan down, "I do one nice gesture and you zone out on me"

Deidara really wasn't paying attention. Itachi just shook his head and headed upstairs to the bathroom.

Deidara knew where he was. He was in Hell; complete, unadulterated, high class, fiery _HELL_. He _knew_ he shouldn't have agreed to this. If Itachi decided to stalk him until he got drugs it would've been much simpler to rob him but NO. The blonde was now stuck with doing his job and controlling his feelings.

The EXACT thing he didn't want to happen in the first place.

Deidara started stuffing food in his mouth, _'I hate my job'_

愛

Sasuke threw another dart at Neji's picture up on his wall. It was only day four of his fifteen day suspension. As each day passed his hate for his former friend grew into a vast fire within him. He wanted the Hyuga to suffer. He wanted the pearl eyed male to experience pain and agony head on. The only problem with such a want was that the Uchiha didn't know how to go about actually making such an image come alive to reality.

Sai was sitting on one of the black beanbag chairs in front of the television reading Catch-22. He couldn't stand to watch the Uchiha deface the picture. Sai had to true hate for Neji. The Hyuga has never actually done anything to him to make him even dislike him. If of anything the only reason why Sai never interacted with Neji was for Sasuke's sake.

Mikoto entered her youngest son's bedroom, "Sasuke"

"What do you want mother?" another dart left his position and landed on the picture

The woman snatched the darts away, "Stop it Sasuke…it's bad enough that you're even suspended"

Sasuke glared at the picture on the wall, "It's _his_ fault…him and his little boyfriend…"

Mikoto sat down on the bed, "Sasuke…I know you miss-"

"I don't miss him"

"…I know you're upset that he is not longer your friend…but you really need to leave him alone as well as his boyfriend…your brother told me what you did and you're lucky that I'm even covering for you so your father will remain at bay," she stood up and retrieved the darts from the picture, "He thinks you're sick"

Sasuke looked at his mother, "I'm even surprised you decided to lie to him"

"Don't get smart with me Sasuke"

"…Yes ma'am…"

Mikoto sighed, "I just…nevermind; I'll call you down when breakfast is done…"

Sai watched as Mikoto departed from the room, "That really wasn't cool Sasuke"

The Uchiha began scratching himself, "I know…"

"What are you doing?"

"She messed up my count," after the seventh scratch the male sighed and turned his back to his friend

愛

"I can…leave?"

Dr. Nasumo nodded, "Yes you can"

Naruto thought this was a joke, "How is that possible…? You said yourself that I had a great chance of dying at the end of the week and today's Thursday"

"I know but that's we scanned you so many times. Apparently the hot sauce just…disappeared. We couldn't detect any in your body or your blood"

"So you don't know the cause of my allergy or where the hot sauce went?"

The doctor shook his head, "No but one thing that was certain was that you were absolutely cured; you weren't going to die since all traces of the liquid were gone from your body and your systems"

"I see…"

The blonde watched as the doctor left. This situation was clearly bittersweet in his vision. The great thing about this announcement was that he was finally leaving the hospital. His departure would mean no more being condemned to a bed, no more thoughts of death, and he would finally be able to see Neji and Deidara again. The bad thing about this was that he would have to deal with Sasuke still, he had to switch around his schedule, and he wasn't going to get anymore of the good hospital food that the nurses always fed him. Next to ramen, the food at the hospital tasted absolutely delicious.

Now, the question was to figure out who to call to come get him. He could always call Deidara but knowing his brother the older Uzumaki will bombard him with a truckload of questions before they even get to the car. Calling Neji would only have the Hyuga looking back on how the blonde got in the hospital in the first place. Picking up the phone Naruto dialed Konan's number.

愛

Itachi entered Deidara's bedroom. The twenty-one year old figured that since he was left alone while Deidara went out he could do a bit of exploring to pass the time. Looking around the bedroom was absolutely tidy and organized yet possessed an odd feel to it. The aura surrounding the room didn't really match up with how the room was arranged. The only thing in the room that wasn't absolutely clean was the bed. The bed was not made up. Leaving it as it is Itachi made his way over to the end table to the left of the bed.

Opening the top drawer, Itachi discovered a large stack of papers. Taking out the stack Itachi skimmed through the pages. They were all copies of Supreme and local court cases throughout Japan that were currently in a standstill or have been declared mistrials. The copies had red-ink notes along the margins that were legible and written in cursive. Placing the papers back the Uchiha closed the drawer and made his way over to the closet.

Opening the doors one item in particular caught Itachi's eye: a large brown cardboard box. Kneeling down he pulled the box out of the closet and opened it to see a mass collection of video tapes. Pushing the box over, he discovered two more large cardboard boxes. Opening both of the boxes each contained a collection of video tapes. Stacking the first two boxes Itachi picked up both boxes and carefully made his way out of the room.

As he slowly descended the staircase the twenty-one year old tried to figure out why a mass amount of videotapes would be stuck up in someone's closet to collect dust. Resting down the boxes in the living room Itachi sprinted back upstairs to retrieve the third box. Picking up the third box Itachi departed from the room and walked down the stairs back to the living room where the other two boxes were sitting. Moving the second box to the floor, Itachi opened the first box and picked up one of the tapes.

The Uchiha inserted the tape into the VCR and turned on the television as he pressed the play button. The tape showed a younger version of Deidara who looked to be a year old. Yet the said blonde wasn't smiling. He was just sitting there on the floor with his knees close to his chest staring at the chocolate cake. In the background Itachi could here screaming and yelling from an unknown place. The sound of glass breaking caused the blonde to cringe. Stopping the tape Itachi felt a bad feeling crawl up within him. Ejecting the tape he grabbed another tape from the first box and inserted it.

Pressing play it showed another birthday cake but an older version of the blonde. In this video the blonde was five years old. There the blonde sat with the pointy birthday cap resting on his head. Itachi did notice two major differences between this video and the last one. One, both of his parents were there and two, there was a present resting on the table. Itachi watched as the present was given to the blonde by his father. A smile finally appeared on the Uzumaki's face. The sight itself brought a small smile to his face. The smile disappeared from the Uchiha's face once he saw the present: a reefer.

The Uchiha saw the smile slowly diminish from Deidara's face. The mother then started yelling at the father saying things like 'Who gives a five year old a reefer?' and 'You're a damn imbecile'. Itachi was a bit taken back once he saw the father strike the mother violently. Itachi's stare became deafening as he watched the beating occur. Glancing over at the blonde Itachi watched the five year old Deidara remove himself from the chair and tossed the reefer in the trash. Instantly the young child was shoved into the wall violently by his father and the yelling began. Itachi watched as the mother tried to get the young child away from the male but the father went back to beating her. The twenty-one year old's heart sank as he saw the expression plastered on the blonde's face. Deidara was simply emotionless or at least tried to be. Tears were beginning to set in for the blonde but all he did was pull his knees to his chest and stare at the scene before him.

Stopping the tape Itachi ejected it and replaced it with yet another tape. Pressing play the tape revealed another difference, the mother was visible but the father was nowhere to be found. This was Deidara's sixth birthday. Itachi could hear the mother's soft yet shaky voice trying to coax her eldest son to crack a small smile for the camera. The blonde simply shook his head as he stared at his mom and said 'It's okay Mom…you don't have to pretend you're happy…' Yet the mother continued trying to get her son to smile. Itachi could hear the small cracks in her voice and knew she was on the verge of crying.

Stopping the tape he ejected and replaced the tape with another one. Pressing play the first event that popped up on the screen was an immediate fight between the mother and father while Deidara sat at the table near his birthday cake trying not to cry. It was his seventh birthday. Once the beating ceased the father made a declaration stating to the mother, 'One of these days, you're going to die!' and with that the father departed. The same emotionless face Deidara maintained in the previous videos was once again being coaxed by his mother to give her a smile but this time she cried while saying so.

Itachi stopped the tape, _'Can I really look at any more of this…?'_

愛

Deidara blew out a puff of smoke, "So they have no idea of where the hot sauce went…?"

Konan shook her head, "The doctor told him that the hot sauce just disappeared from his system," she glanced over at the younger Uzumaki watching the television, "They said that because of that he wouldn't die"

"Go figure, un"

"Despite that thought how are you doing…?"

The nineteen year old shrugged, "I guess I'm doing alright…"

Konan frowned, "Are you sure? Lately since I've been talking to you you've been kind of down"

"Just tired, un…"

Konan looked back at the younger Uzumaki, "Hey Naruto, you can go play on my computer if you want"

The teen turned off the television, "Okay, thanks Konan"

The female waited until the teen entered her room before turning her attention back to the older blonde, "Now what's up? Did something happen…?"

Deidara placed the butt of the cigarette in the ashtray, "Would it be right…to teach someone something when you know it'll hurt them?"

"Of course not"

"What if the person requested to be taught the thing?"

Konan crossed her legs, "Now that's a good question…why do you ask?"

愛

"I got it!"

Sai glanced up from his book, "What are you talking about?"

Sasuke sat up, "I finally have a way to get back at those two imbeciles"

The Simashi shrugged and began reading again, "Okay, go ahead; express your plan to me"

"In a strong relationship there is love, trust, and fidelity; correct?"

Sai turned a page in his book, "That sounds about right"

"Usually the main reason why a relationship breaks is due to immediate infidelity…"

"Exactly what are you getting at Sasuke?"

Sasuke grabbed the tennis ball on his bed and began tossing it in the air, "I force Naruto to cheat on Neji"

Sai raised his head quickly, "You mean _pretend_ that you're interested in him? Sasuke that's a horrible idea"

"How is it?"

"Let's start with the fact that Naruto hates you; you nearly killed the boy with his own allergy. And what about everyone else in the school; you know how they are towards Neji and Naruto for even being gay"

"I'll let everyone in on my little charade; that way no such misconceptions will come to rise"

"Sasuke you can't pull that off; Naruto wouldn't even consider cheating on Neji. He loves him way too much to even allow the thought to cross his mind"

"Just because love is strong doesn't mean a small infidelity cannot be given life; besides I have leeway to make this work. He is, after all, my tutor"

Sai frowned at the plan. It sounded preposterous yet effective. Sai knew the plan itself could work like a charm if executed flawlessly. Yet the real holes of the plot lied within the people it involved. For starters there was Sasuke. Sasuke wasn't an absolute prejudice person when it came to people's sexual orientations but he definitely didn't approve of gay relationships. For him to pretend to be interested in the blonde would mean that he had to truly act the part. He couldn't be disgusted. He couldn't offend the Uzumaki. Overall he couldn't hate the blue eyed blonde. Sai saw that as a problem. He knew his friend was an excellent actor but to pretend to be interested in guys; Sai knew Sasuke would have some problems with that.

Next was Naruto. Sai was well aware of the previous breakup the Uzumaki had with Neji and one thing he learned from that event was that Naruto, himself, was a faithful person but had a way with hurting Neji effectively. During said breakup Sai remembered hearing Naruto mention something about Neji not caring enough. Sai knew that in previous conversations between the blonde and the brunette that Naruto didn't want Neji to care too much. In other words the Simashi noticed that Naruto could hurt Neji with his own rules along with the many things he said. Naruto had a temper. Neji did not. Naruto had no problem with being violent. Neji, actually, had a problem with violence which is why he rarely performed such acts. The likely possibility of Naruto cheating on Neji seemed a bit greater than most would expect. Sai knew this.

Last there was Neji. Sai had no problem with Neji. Sai never had issues with Neji and vice versa. Neji was a good soul. Yet he was a good soul who couldn't take drastic events. Sai did learn a few things about Neji. For one the boy could do no wrong. The Hyuga was very trustworthy and, on a regular basis, remained faithful to everything and everyone he was involved with. Neji loved Naruto. He'd die for the blonde if that what the situation called for. Sai also knew that because of that this charade could be the end of Neji if the plan succeeded. Because Neji had problems with taking horrible news and surprises, Sai knew that the Hyuga was emotionally unstable. That was why Neji would have dangerous fits of rage if something happens to Naruto. That was also why when he had his breakup with Naruto before his immediate sadness extended over a period of time.

Sai looked at the Uchiha, "…Do you know what could happen if you do this?"

Sasuke caught the tennis ball, "I know exactly what will happen…they're relationship will break…both will feel pain," a smirk formed on his lips, "I win, they lose"

"I'm serious Sasuke," the Simashi closed his book, "This one charade can do plenty of damage to one of them"

"That's actually kind of the plan"

"What I mean is that one of them can seriously get hurt in the process or at the very end"

"And whose problem will that be?"

Sai knew the answer to that question.

If something drastic happened it would be Sasuke's problem.

But the Simashi left the question hanging in the air as he departed from the room.

愛

Itachi was speechless.

Deidara's life was, or rather is, a three ring circus.

The twenty-one year old was absolutely mortified by the tapes. He never knew what kind of life Deidara experienced from then to now. To think that a father would actually document himself teaching his son how intake cocaine; Itachi couldn't believe it.

As the Uchiha went through each tape he became more horrified. Binge drinking parties, marijuana circles, late night child abuse; the tapes revealed such indescribable acts that the Uchiha just couldn't comprehend in his mind. Opening the second box he retrieved one of the videotapes and placed it inside the VCR. Pressing play Itachi could see that this was a much older version of Deidara. He appeared to be fifteen. He had a number of scars on his face and his shirt was torn. A voice asked him about a missing part of a package. The person received an answer of 'I don't know' from the blonde which caused the blonde to get kicked in the face.

Itachi released a small sigh, "Who tapes these kinds of things…?"

The Uchiha heard the doorknob being turned. Thinking quickly on his feet Itachi pushed the three boxes behind the couch and switched to the normal television mode as he sat back down. Flipping through the channels Deidara entered placing his jacket on the arm chair.

"…What are you doing, un?"

"I'm flipping through the channels; there's nothing on…"

Deidara folded his arms, "There are over nine thousand channels on this television"

"Yeah, nine thousand channels of crap," Itachi tossed the remote down as he stood, "I'm going to the bathroom"

The blonde watched as the Uchiha went upstairs, "Well, at least his mean and smart ass comments haven't changed, un"

Then something caught the blonde's eye. The VCR was on. Deidara raised an eyebrow. One thing he knew was that he didn't own any actual movies on video cassette. All movies he owned were on DVD and Blue-Ray. Picking up the remote Deidara switched to the VCR and saw the tape playing. When he saw the condition he was in the blonde's heart sank. Deidara stopped and ejected the tape taking it into his possession before switching back the regular television. He glanced behind the couch and the blonde turned back around. The older one actually went through his things. Sitting down on the couch and placed the video tape behind him as the Uchiha came down.

"Hey Itachi, what did you do today?"

"What did I do today?"

"Yeah, un. What did you do today?"

Itachi leaned against the wall, "Well I woke up, cooked breakfast, used the bathroom, slept, used the bathroom, took a walk, came home, used the bathroom, came downstairs, watched television, see you come in, used the bathroom, and came back down to hear you ask me that idiotic question"

Deidara nodded slowly, "What did you watch on television?"

"Loads of worthless crap"

The blonde then revealed the video tape, "You sure it wasn't this…?"

"…"

Deidara went behind the couch and pushed the three boxes from their hiding place, "Or maybe it was all of these!" He threw the video tape at the Uchiha, "You went through my stuff you fucker!"

Itachi felt hurt but he didn't show it, "Deidara-"

"Don't talk to me!"

As quick as he came in the Uchiha watched as the Uzumaki left the apartment. Though the reason behind the anger didn't seem very clear to Itachi: was Deidara mad that he went through his things or was Deidara mad that he watched them? Itachi took out his Samsung and dialed Kisame's number.

"Hello?"

"Kisame"

"Hey Itachi what's up?"

Itachi grabbed his jacket, "I need you to come pick me up in front of Mimosa Park," the Uchiha lifted up the mat and grabbed the spare key to the apartment

"What are you doing all the way over there?"

"I'll tell you when you get me"

愛

Deidara was sitting on the hood of his Corvette when he stared out at the lone lake as the sun began to set along the horizon. The blonde felt guilty about yelling at the Uchiha but at the same time the nineteen year old felt embarrassed that the older one even set his eyes on the footage located on those tapes. The last impression he wanted to leave on the twenty-one year old was that he was a weak person who wasn't fit to do much with his own life.

"So how did you get the tapes…?"

Deidara released a subtle sigh but continued to stare at the lake, "I took a visit to my dad's house in Kyoto…I got in with the key he gave me after my mother was murdered, un…The third box of tapes I found hidden in a back room when I first got into the drug business"

Itachi walked over and sat next to him, "I see…"

"How did you find me, un?"

"Took me a while actually; I spent ninety minutes looking for your ass until some homeless guy mentioned some blonde nearly running him over while heading to the lake near the Square Meadow"

Deidara looked away from the older one, "…"

"…I never knew you had to experience that when you were younger…I can see why you're so big on Naruto's birthday; you never truly had one of your own"

The blonde bit his lower lip, "They fought all the time…all it did was end up with her on the ground and him leaving…I couldn't cry, I felt I had to be strong for her so I just remained emotionless…that way she wouldn't know I was sad and upset but I didn't have to display any false happiness"

"What about Naruto?"

"Well during the birthdays I had after Naruto was born he would be at someone else's home…you know, for safety, un," the nineteen year old could feel tears coming to his eyes, "Yeah…that was my dad, always documenting everything…he did it because he knew I wouldn't turn them over to the police…I was afraid of him…to this day I can't do it…he probably knows I took them anyway, un"

Itachi looked over at the blonde as tears fell from his eyes but silence lingered as they sat there. Deidara knew he was a wreck and Itachi knew it. The Uchiha felt his heart literally sink within him. The sight actually was enough to make him feel like crying. In a way the twenty-one year old knew what it felt like to see a mother being abused by her own husband yet he never saw it to the extent that the blonde's mother experienced.

"Do you believe in destiny and fate…?"

Itachi looked over at Deidara, "…Sometimes"

The blonde sniffed and a small smile graced his lips, "I believe that I'm destined to die before I hit twenty-six, un…you know what else I believe…?"

The Uchiha looked out at the sunset, "What?"

"I believe fate led us to be with each other…I mean, what were the actual odds of us ever being here, un?"

Itachi thought about that for a moment. It posed as a reasonable question. What were the actual odds of them being here together? They were two completely different people who were a part of two different worlds. He was the son of a lucrative CEO while Deidara was a junkie drug dealer. Both of them suffered from abuse; both have serious reasons to look after their younger brothers. They were so different yet one in the same. To Itachi, it was almost scary. The odds were basically slim to none for them to be here with one another. To think that one chance meeting in a bar changed that…it almost seemed farfetched.

Deidara wiped his eyes, "I thought after that one meeting in the bar…I would never see you again even though I wanted to…but we're here…we're here together for our own personal gain but…we're here, un"

Deidara was right. In the past, hate was the basis of them knowing one another. Now, in the present, they were near one another trying to retrieve a personal goal.

But they were here.

愛

Neji stared at the blaring television but he truly didn't know what he was watching. He wasn't entirely focusing on the Technicolor screen. Ever since he received suspension he felt like hunting the young Uchiha down and pulverizing him. Yet Neji knew violence wasn't particularly his forte. No matter how much he thought about it, acting on it completely was never normality for him.

Hearing the doorbell the Hyuga turned off the television and stood up from the couch. Walking over to the door he opened it to see the young blonde.

"…Naruto…"

The Uzumaki flashed a big smile, "Hey Neji"

The brunette hugged the blonde tightly and could feel tears coming to his eyes. The Hyuga truly believed that he was going to lose the blonde in the hospital due to the horrific incident at the school.

Naruto looked at him, "Just had to get yourself suspended"

Neji laughed a bit, "Yeah…I'm sorry…he came at me and I-"

"I understand…just make sure you don't ever get suspended again," he walked past the Hyuga inside the house

Neji was about to follow until he stopped and pulled out his cell phone, "Hello?"

"Neji…"

The brunette raised an eyebrow, "Sai? How did you--"

"Sasuke keeps all of his numbers even if he already despises the person…," Sai rubbed the back of his head, "How's Naruto doing?"

"…," Neji didn't really know whether to answer the question or not

The Simashi released a small sigh, "Look…I understand you might not like me and…really it's not a problem if you do; I just feel bad that Sasuke almost…you know"

Neji leaned against the front door, "He got released from the hospital early…I don't know why yet but they released him earlier today"

"That's good news…glad that he's alright. I'm sorry that such a thing had to happen to him…"

"…It's not your fault"

With that the Hyuga ended the call and entered the house. The conversation was short and awkward but felt right and seemed to enter in on the right time.

"Did something happen Neji?"

Neji looked at the blonde, "No, nothing happened; you hungry?"

The Uzumaki flashed his boyfriend a smile, "More than ever!"

愛

"The art of drunk driving is pretty simple: drink enough for you to be drunk but not too much to the point you have no sense"

Itachi nodded, "So be drunk but have sense as well"

"Exactly, un"

Itachi found this beyond odd. The Uchiha expected the blonde to take him to a bar in order to get drunk and teach this lesson. Instead they were roaming down the alcohol aisle inside of a local store. To Itachi it made some kind of sense but it didn't seem to fit.

"Explain to me why we're in a grocery store Deidara"

Deidara grabbed a bottle of Smirnoff and led the Uchiha down the aisle, "We're here because it's much easier to teach the lesson. We are going to share this bottle, un"

Itachi didn't think he heard correctly, "…Say what now?"

"You're doing this tonight; I'll drive first then you're going to drive," the blonde allowed the cashier to scan the bottle and paid him before walking out with bottle in hand

"That's idiotic even for you"

Deidara entered in on the driver's side, "Then I must be a bigger idiot to you than you thought, un," Deidara opened the bottle and began drinking from it

Itachi felt uncomfortable watching Deidara. After seeing the binge drinking tape he felt like Deidara needed much more help than he himself could even get. The blonde was so used to be intoxicated that it actually scared the hell out of the Uchiha. It scared him because the blonde was nowhere near knocking on Death's front door. How could the nineteen year old not be dead yet? It made no sense to him.

Itachi watched as Deidara stopped and he glanced at the bottle. Exactly half of the vodka was gone. Itachi took the bottle and closed it.

"How do you feel?"

Deidara chuckled, "…I feel wasted…that's a good thing, un. Keys please"

Itachi glanced at the car keys, "I don't think so"

Deidara rolled his eyes and grabbed the keys, "Do you want to learn or not?"

Itachi remained silent and placed his seatbelt on as Deidara turned on the ignition. The Uchiha felt a bad feeling in his stomach. The blonde stomped on the gas pedal causing the Corvette to speed out of the parking lot. Deidara made a sharp right turn as he began to maneuver around the cars in front of him. Itachi glanced at what speed they were going. Deidara was going ninety miles per hour.

愛

Itachi stared at the liquid in the bottle, "…I don't think this is something I should try"

Deidara looked over at the Uchiha, "It's not as bad as you think; drink that half of the bottle and you can get behind the wheel, un," Deidara watched as the twenty-one year old drank from the bottle and tossed it in the back, "How do you feel?"

"I feel normal"

The blonde tapped his chin and picked up a bottle of Dr. Pepper, "Drink this"

Itachi drank half of the Dr. Pepper and closed it, "That's some damn good Dr. Pepper"

The blonde stepped out of the car while Itachi made a transition from the passenger seat to the driver seat. Deidara entered in on the passenger side and placed the seatbelt on. Within his heart the nineteen year old felt terribly guilty for allowing this action. He has never encouraged others to drive drunk like he did and it felt a bit uncomfortable to teach proper drunk driving as a lesson.

The blonde entered the car and placed on his seatbelt, "Are you ready?"

Itachi released a sigh, "Yeah"

"Now, hands at ten and two"

"…Where…?"

"Ten and _two_; the regular hand placement on the steering wheel while you're driving, un…"

"Oh…"

Deidara rolled his eyes, "Put the car in drive"

Itachi did as he was told but when he slammed down on the accelerator the Corvette shot backwards. Deidara felt like hitting the Uchiha. The older one placed it in drive…but in reverse. Stretching his leg over Deidara slammed down on the brake and placed the car in drive before Itachi slammed down on the accelerator and went forward.

The twenty-one year old made a sharp right turn, "Where exactly are we going…?"

Deidara thought for a moment, "Cabaret Lake"

"Okay…so we take a left--"

"No moron, you take a right and go straight, un!"

"You're calling _me _the moron?"

"Yes I am"

"You make a left, THEN a right before you go straight dumbass!"

"No you- wait a second…oh yeah, un…"

"Fucking retard…"

愛

Deidara screamed in frustration, "Nice going dipshit! Thanks to you we're near the outskirts of the city, un!"

Itachi pushed the blonde, "My fault? You're the one that told me to turn around!"

"I did not! I told you to turn left so you could get our asses back on the interstate!"

"No you didn't! You told me to turn around and when I did your dumbass nearly made us hit a fucking Volvo!"

"No I—wait you're fucking intoxicated; this conversation is over!"

"You're intoxicated too you dumbass blonde!"

"You're more intoxicated than me, un! At least I know the difference between a stop sign and a tree!"

Tears began to fall from the Uchiha's eyes, "Why do you have to be so fucking mean to me?! I can't believe you called me dumb!"

Deidara never knew alcohol could affect people so differently. If of anything he expected himself to be the whiny person crying uncontrollably for no absolute reason and Itachi to be super fucking angry yelling his ass off. Instead the effects were switched on them. It actually scared the blonde. When he thought back to the Disco Lemonade incident he thought those type of effects were a one time thing. To know that alcohol has the permanent effect of making Itachi act like a raging, tantrum-throwing five year old made him frightened and worried.

The blonde, in his half-drunken state, walked over to the older one and patted him on the shoulder, "Don't cry…I'm sorry, un"

"No you're not…," Itachi turned his back on the nineteen year old

"Well…you passed…you didn't run into anything, un"

"You yelled at me…"

"I didn't mean to…just please, stop crying"

Itachi wiped his eyes, "What are you talking about? I'm not crying"

"Right, un…," Deidara walked over to his car and pulled out two sleeping bags, "So which sleeping bag do you want?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?"

"We're not going home, un. You got us into this mess and I doubt you can get us out so which fucking sleeping bag: red or black?"

"I hate you so much…and I want the black one"

Deidara threw Itachi the red one, "There"

"I said black you dumbass!"

"Do you even know what color that is Itachi?!"

"It's green!"

"No it's not, un! It's fucking black!"

"You're fucking colorblind! You're holding the black one you dipshit! When did you become fucking colorblind?!"

"Whatever just go to sleep, un…," Deidara placed the sleeping bag on the ground next to the red one and lied down, "Itachi what are you doing?"

Itachi was lying in the grass next to the sleeping bag, "I'm lying down; what does it look like?"

"That's not the sleeping back you asswipe…that's the damn grass," Deidara reached over and pulled the Uchiha onto the red sleeping bag, "There now go to sleep"

"I hate you…"

"I love you, too, un"

"I said I hate you!"

Deidara snickered as he turned over, "Whatever"

As far as the blonde was concerned at the moment the drunk driving lesson was complete. Although he was technically supposed to start robbing the Uchiha today he figured he could put that off until tomorrow.

* * *

**There you have it folks! Chapter seventeen typed, read, and done. So you learned a few things and are probably thinking a few things too. I bet a few people are probably thinking, 'How will Sasuke be able to pull that off?' Take the planning segment between Sasuke and Sai as the beginning of the SasuNaru that I'm pretty sure some people have been waiting to see since I first mentioned it in the summary.**

**Next: The suspension has ended and the plan is being executed (Thus beginning the first few SasuNaru moments). Plus, Itachi's binge drinking lesson (I think I said that at the end of the last chapter by accident but I'm not sure...I think I said drunk driving lesson...oh well) and Sasori gives Gaara a task.**

**Until then my fellow reviewers, express your thoughts on this chapter!**


	18. History & Hennessey

I haven't posted in anything in months!!! I feel like I've been neglecting everything! I' such a horrible person....but I finally got it done so yay me! Took me long enough! I kinda had to change most of this around because I was getting severe writer's block everytime I opened this damn story lol. So finally after the fifth time of changing it I finally settled on something. The binge drinking is in here just in a different way and Gaara's task doesn't come until the next chapter. However there is a lot of history pertaining to three of the characters in here. The hennessey doesn't come until the end. Other than that this should be fine. I apologize for not updating! I noticed the last time I even updated was the end of last year! So here is chapter eighteen!

* * *

_Chapter Eighteen: History & Hennessey_

Bright sunlight shined through the windows of Deidara's shiny red Corvette. An awake and sober Itachi was sitting in the backseat of the car that was still parked near the outskirts of the city on some grass. The Uchiha had discovered three packs of cigarettes in the glove compartment and decided to help himself to one. He found Deidara's lighter on top of the dashboard and lit the cigarette that sat between his lips. It was the first time Itachi ever had a cigarette in four years.

Allowing the flame to go out Itachi tossed the lighter into the driver's seat and let out a cloud of smoke which escaped out of the only open window in the car. Many different thoughts were circulating through his mind. One thought that was constantly bugging him was his divorce situation. If he stuck to his own and went through with the divorce he didn't know what his father would do with him. If he sold out and stayed with Shimeta all it would do is drive him insane. The decision was really testing if he was allowing his father to dictate his life once more even as an adult.

Putting his back against the right backseat door Itachi let out another smoke cloud and allowed it to escape through the window across from him. The Uchiha watched this same door open revealing Deidara. The door closed and Deidara put his back against the door as he let out a small yawn.

"Good morning, un…"

Itachi held the cigarette in his hand, "I see we're still tired"

Deidara snatched the cigarette away, "You're not looking all great yourself," he tapped the ashes outside before taking a drag from the cigarette, "So how was your night?"

Itachi cringed thinking back to last night, "I don't even remember half of it but I know it was pure hell."

The blonde laughed at little bit as he blew out a cloud of smoke, "Yeah it was hell but you passed so you got something out of the horrible night," he tapped the ashes outside.

Itachi took the cigarette from the blonde, "Yeah I guess"

"Oh c'mon, I wasn't even finished, un"

Itachi shrugged, "I need it more than you do," he took a drag from the cigarette and blew out the smoke.

Deidara stared at the Uchiha before him and bit his lower lip. He was very torn in his feelings when it came to the older one. On one end Deidara absolutely despised him because of his obvious rudeness and his bland and blunt attitude towards everything in the natural world. Yet on the other end the twenty-one year old proved that he really did have feelings and that he did have an odd compassionate side to him. Not only that his flawless heavenly looks were constantly distracting him. Deidara was actually starting to become attached to Itachi. However his growing feelings served as an issue for his real purpose of being with Itachi in the first place.

Deidara's main priority for seducing the Uchiha was to rob him of every cent he had. Normally if this was some other guy Deidara would've nearly cleaned him out of everything by now. To Deidara, though, Itachi was not just 'some other guy'. Deidara felt that Itachi was different and because he was different doing his job would be more difficult. Now the question was whether or not to start robbing him of his money today or not since he's been holding off on it for so long because of how he felt.

"Why are you staring at me?"

Deidara pulled away from his thoughts, "What?"

"You're staring at me"

"Sorry, un. I was spacing out"

Itachi rolled the cigarette between his fingers, "So tell me something, do you just see women as simply unattractive?"

Deidara let out a small laugh, "I should be asking you that"

"I'm not gay, I just find it unappealing how women throw themselves at me," he took another drag from the cigarette, "I did have one girl in mind," he blew out a string of smoke, "It was the first time I ever worked to get someone. She was bright and ambitious with a devious nature. That was what I was interested in; intelligence with an edge"

Deidara rolled his eyes, "You like edge? You're as bland as a board," he felt of Itachi's foot against his shin, "Ow! What? I'm giving honest opinion, un. How long did you end up dating her?"

"I never dated her"

"What a surprise. Why didn't you date her?"

Itachi shrugged, "Don't know, I didn't even have the courage to kiss the girl"

"So you're just a coward, un," another blow from Itachi's foot went to the blonde's shin, "Ow! I'm just joking, un. What ever happened to her?"

"She moved to France, married, got a modeling career, and has a kid on the way"

"She just left?"

Itachi let out a bitter sigh, "No…she had some help"

"Oh, so your dad didn't like her," he took the cigarette butt from the older one and flicked it out the window.

"Never did and never will. Never did know why; he just didn't like her"

"But he liked Shimeta"

"I know it makes no sense. You still didn't answer my question"

Deidara shrugged, "I used to be into girls that way. In the beginning I was more of a bisexual than gay. If I thought the girl was hot I'd go for her. If not I went for the dude. My bisexuality stretched throughout middle school and I just deemed myself gay once I entered high school. I don't think women are ugly; I'm just not attracted to them in that kind of way anymore, un. I haven't looked back since"

"Was it hard growing up that way?"

Deidara bit his lower lip, "Well…yeah, it was difficult. I didn't go back into high school until I hit sixteen which was after I was able to get Naruto into a good school. Many girls couldn't stand me because their boyfriends were actually interested in me. Every straight guy harassed me physically and sexually and every gay guy…well, relationships really weren't their forte. I couldn't stand the girls. All they would do is write all over my locker, glare at me in class, try to destroy my reputation; it was hell. Then news about me stretched to every high school which meant more girls hating me and more boys coming after me. So I made the decision to drop out of school and never go back. I was only a sophomore"

Itachi saw the glowing glint in Deidara's cerulean eyes faded away as he looked at the seat. The older one knew he had his own personal issues with women but he realized that nothing he experienced could possibly compare to what Deidara had to withstand.

"That's terrible…what about Naruto?"

A small smile formed on the blonde, "Naruto didn't tell me he was gay until after sixth grade. He was afraid that I would think poorly of him. It wasn't great for him either not even in elementary school, but back then kids just started naturally picking on him because of how he looked. Apparently he's had issues with your brother in the very beginning. I remember when he would come crying to me saying some kid with black hair shaped like a duck's ass and black eyes was being mean to him"

Itachi let out a sigh, "Yeah, that's Sasuke. He told me some blonde idiot was always getting in his way. He really started hating Naruto when Neji stopped being his friend. I never knew Naruto and Neji dated"

Deidara looked back at Itachi, "Yeah, I think Naruto is the only boy he was ever attracted to. I never knew who Sasuke was; Naruto would just say the kid who hated was a bastard all the time. Growing up gay is never easy. People think you're disgusting, people use you, and people judge you especially Christians and Catholics. Then you have those very few people who like you"

"How did you get into Jewel University without finishing high school?"

"A lot of begging; trust me. Most of the money I earned went to Naruto's education and more important things like life insurance, medical insurance, food, clothing, saving up for a house; I didn't have any money for myself. When more money began rolling in I had enough to pay for a new car and a really nice apartment that wasn't a part of an apartment complex. I was able to pay for tuition in the middle of my freshman year. Now I have enough money to pay every bill that comes in and for everything that Naruto wants and needs. Naruto is the center of my life; he's everything to me. I don't have time to be a little selfish and think about what I want, un"

Itachi picked up a quarter off the floor, "Well, what do you want?"

Deidara raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"What do you want? Obviously you don't think about this so what is it that you want?"

"Well…I want a better life. I wish I wasn't a drug addict, I wish I wasn't an avid drinker, and I wish I wasn't a drug dealer, but I am, un. I know I want someone in my life but with having to provide the way I am and cover up my tracks in the process to make sure I'm not arrested there's not enough time in any day to think about having a relationship"

"But you're trying to get one through me"

Deidara thought for a moment, "…Yeah, you could say I am, un. The deal was I let you into my world and you give me your compassion and affection. You know that's what I want most of all"

"Why would you want one with me?"

"…Deep down, I know you actually like me. Sure you glare at me, ridicule me, belittle me, but no matter what you do, no matter how dumb I seem to be, no matter how immature I act, you like me. Like you said in those many words that night; you don't hate me, un. You want to hate me, but you can't…and oddly enough, you despise the fact that you can't hate me"

"So you only want one because you think you know how I feel towards you"

Deidara moved closer to the older one, "That and I find you very alluring. You're everything that I hate. You're egotistical, cold, and tough; you're very rough around the edges. You had money and you only associated with people who had about the same amount of money as you do. You saw the rest of society as nothing, un," he dragged his finger down the Uchiha's face, "Yet for some reason I tend to overlook that about you because something tells me that's not what you're all about. You're a fairly interesting person…and I _love_ interesting people. It gives me something to think about"

Itachi turned his head to the side, "I see…"

Deidara smirked, "See, you're doing it right now, un. You're afraid to be attracted to me," he whispered in his ear, "because you know once you admit it you will know the truth. You may not be gay Itachi…but you want me and that much is clear"

"You're invading my personal space"

"I love how you're making excuses, un"

Itachi looked at him, "You're such a dumbass"

Deidara brushed his lips against his, "Is that really what you're thinking right now?"

"…," silence seemed to be the only answer the older one could provide.

"That's what I thought, un," Deidara placed a light kiss upon the older one's lips, "Alright, let's get out of here because we both stink, un"

Itachi watched the blonde get out of the car and let out a sigh.

愛

Naruto looked out the window as he sat on the bus. He was told by his principal that he decided to cut the suspension short because he felt that the students learned their lesson and knew never to pull such a stupid stunt ever again. Naruto saw this as a very bittersweet situation. It meant that everyone who was a part of the whole ordeal that hated him was allowed to come back only after serving four days. However, on the bright side Neji was able to come back to school which provided comfort for the blonde. Yet the brunette decided to drive his car to school today for alone time and to avoid seeing the young Uchiha.

The blonde felt the bus stop again and let out a sigh. Naruto glanced at Sasuke walking down the aisle and immediately looked back out the window before him. He could here the loving sighs from the girls and the greetings coming from all the students. Yet Naruto felt someone sitting next to him. He turned his attention away from the window to see the Uchiha sitting next to him.

"Get the hell away from me…"

Sasuke let out a sigh, "Can't you hear me out for a moment?"

Naruto averted his attention to the window, "You didn't give me the time of day on my birthday…"

"Look…you're right; I didn't give you the time of day. However, I'm trying to swallow my pride and hate to make a truce with you"

"…A truce? Yeah right, as if you would provide peace out of the goodness of your heart"

"Look I'm trying to be nice alright," Sasuke began tapping his finger on the seat, "I know I'm not known for good deeds but I'm trying to be the bigger person for once in my life and take some responsibility for the damn thing I did," the Uchiha then began kicking his backpack, "and trust me it's not an easy thing to do"

Naruto looked at Sasuke, "You nearly killed me"

"I know that and honestly I know a 'sorry' isn't really going to cut it so I won't waste time saying it," he scratched behind his ear, "The thing is I'm trying to turn this around and be a bit nicer. Besides I need you anyway," he began scratching the back of his hand, "I need a really good tutor and you're the only hope I have left"

"Well you can fuck that," Naruto looked out the window, "I'm done being your tutor"

Sasuke was actually starting to panic. He knew the true reason as to why he was trying to get closer to the blonde but plan or not he _needed_ Naruto. Sasuke started rubbing his right arm and kept count in his mind once more.

"Look, please I'm begging you to keep tutoring me"

"Go to Hell Sasuke"

"You don't understand," he grabbed Naruto's arm making the blonde turn around, "I don't know about you but I have a father who is already very disappointed in me"

When the bus stopped at the school Naruto grabbed his bag, "Gee, I wonder why," he walked past the Uchiha leaving him there in the seat.

愛

Neji glanced up at the board and continued taking down the notes as everyone else was doing in his trigonometry class. Even though he was glad that he was let off of suspension he was equally disappointed that the others were allowed to come back to school. However, it appeared that each learned something after receiving a harsh punishment. Since then neither one of the students has said a mean thing to Naruto or has tried to hurt or harass him in any way. The brunette heard tapping and turned his attention to the Uchiha who was in the next row…and he looked horrible.

Neji examined the boy as he looked up at the board. Sasuke wasn't acting like himself at all. The Hyuga watched as Sasuke began biting on the eraser of his pencil and rapidly glanced back and forth across the room. It almost seemed like the Uchiha was panicking over something. Immediately a soft spot opened up in Neji's heart. In any sense he truly had no desire to be Sasuke's friend anymore, but when it came to Sasuke's OCD Neji could never truly hate him and would often end up being concerned for the young Uchiha.

When the bell sounded Sasuke was the first one to spring out of his seat and head for the door. Neji grabbed his things and quickly followed out behind the Uchiha. The brunette was able to catch up to the other rather quickly and stopped him.

"Sasuke"

Sasuke stopped and turned around, "What the hell do you want?"

A twinge of guilt entered Neji's heart, "…You seem bothered by something"

"I'm not bothered by anything," Sasuke started tapping his foot and glancing around the halls, "I'm just tired; not enough sleep"

"Did something happen…?"

"Why the hell would you care? You hardly talk to my ass anyway. Just stay the fuck away from me"

With that Neji watched Sasuke go down the hall which led to his locker.

愛

Deidara was sitting on his bed reading through his notes from class as Itachi showered. The ride from the outskirts of the city to the apartment felt kind of awkward despite anything else. Deidara felt that on his part it was due to guilt about what he was doing. Trying to forget about his task he shook his head and flipped to the next page of notes on his writing pad.

"Nice shower"

Deidara looked up and his eyes widened a bit as he saw Itachi, "…Um, thanks, un"

Itachi rubbed his hands on the black towel around his waist as walked around the room, "So, what exactly am I learning about today?"

The blonde bit his lower lip, "Binge drinking…"

The Uchiha sat down on the bed and smirked, "Enjoying something?"

"…Shut up, un," he pushed a stack of clothes towards the Uchiha, "There's a set of clothes for you to borrow"

Itachi grabbed the clothes and walked back into the bathroom, "How long did you want to be a lawyer?"

"Ever since I was little; I could never stop watching law shows to save my life. How long have you wanted to work in the family business?"

"Never; I was always interested in the arts but of course my father wasn't going to have that so he forced me to work in the family business. Once I complete college I'll just quit the company and leave with no issue or regret," the Uchiha returned out of the bathroom completely dressed in the clothes the blonde provided

Deidara looked up from his notes, "Always have to look good in everything you damn showoff, un"

Itachi straightened the collar on the shirt as he sat on the bed, "What exactly am I supposed to do while I'm here?"

Deidara sat his writing pad on his end table, "Well your lesson doesn't come until later tonight. Are you ready to admit to the truth, un?"

The Uchiha caught the glint in the blonde's cerulean eyes, "I have nothing to say"

"Oh that's total bullshit. You know you want me; if I remember clearly you have kissed me on your own not once but _twice_ so I don't want to here that you have nothing to say, un. Is the truth really going to murder you as a person?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you"

Deidara frowned at this answer, "That's not fair Itachi. Does this have anything to do with who I am…or is it more about your image, un?"

"It's neither"

"Then what's the problem, un?"

"…I was never a great person when it came to accepting truth. After all, the truth hurts; does it not?"

"Well…yeah, it does but I don't--"

"Like you said, I really do want to hate you. I naturally see your kind as repulsive and dirty yet you actually intrigue me. To accept a truth that I'm attracted to you is really nerve racketing. It's annoying. I've put myself in the position to hate your kind and to have you come in and be able to take my interest tears everything apart. I don't like facing the truth because I hate being wrong about myself and my life"

"I didn't want to like you either but I ended up being attracted to you anyway," Deidara shrugged and rose up from the bed, "So both of us were wrong," he pulled Itachi up and began walking backwards pulling the Uchiha along with him, "Apparently no matter how much we fight and try to avoid each other," Deidara felt his back hit a wall and pulled the older one closer to him, "We seem to keep finding each other and not be able to leave each other alone. We both realize the truth…so why keep playing a game?"

"Is that not what you do? Play games to annoy the living hell out of me?"

"Stop trying to drop the subject"

"Stop trying to create a moment"

"You're such a pompous jerk, un"

"You're an undeniable dumbass"

"I hate you"

"I despise you"

Deidara smirked, "You're a liar"

"I see we have one thing in common"

"Yeah I guess we do, un," he walked away from the older one and grabbed his keys, "Let's go"

愛

Neji entered the library and glanced quickly around the room. When his light lavender eyes spotted the blonde he made his way over to the table. Neji sat down quickly making the blonde look up from his copy of Catch-22.

"Hey Neji"

"Naruto…what did you say to Sasuke today?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "Since when do you give a damn about that bastard?"

"Please Naruto, this is really important"

The sixteen year old shrugged and looked down at his novel, "I told him on the bus that I wasn't going to be his tutor anymore"

Neji's heart began racing, "Naruto…I know you will hate me for this in the end…but you have to keep being Sasuke's tutor"

Naruto's head shot up, "Are you fucking kidding me? Have you already forgotten what he has done to me?"

"Of course not but I need you to please keep being his tutor"

"I told him no. If his father ends up being disappointed in him it's not my problem"

Neji grabbed Naruto's book and slammed it shut, "Hear me out on this one Naruto…I need you to continue being Sasuke's tutor for his sake"

"I don't see why I should. He wants to fail and that is none of my concern. I'm not wasting my time on a stuck up bastard who tried to kill me"

"Naruto, Sasuke's father is going to tear him to shreds"

"I hope he does"

"No Naruto…I mean literally that man is going to destroy Sasuke," Neji let out a sigh, "Look, yes I'm not friends with Sasuke but I'm worried about what might happen to him if he comes home with an 'F' in European History. Sasuke's father isn't really the lenient type if you get what I'm saying"

"No I don't," he snatched his book back, "and I honestly don't care. If he wants to fail then let him fail"

"Naruto…please…I am begging you. Sasuke is going into a very freak panic over this"

"Why should I care?"

"Sasuke has OCD"

"No he doesn't"

"Yes he does," Neji began talking in a lower voice, "Sasuke has an obsession with the number seven. When he was younger his father placed him in an elite academy for the gifted and he pushed him to excel past the other students. Sasuke was very bright but he wasn't bright enough for his father. He was the second smartest kid in the whole school. His father would punish him, beat him, and push him to the brink just to be number one but once he hit seven his mother gathered up enough guts to get Sasuke out of the academy and into public school. Now Sasuke fears that if he doesn't repeat a majority of the actions he has seven times his father will come after him"

Naruto actually felt his heart sink. He knew Neji would never lie to him but to know such a thing seemed so surreal. When the blonde thought back the story explained a number of weird actions that the Uchiha had done in the past.

Neji continued, "When he feels something is going to get him in trouble with his dad he panics. On the day we received suspension he started freaking out in the bathroom. He kept doing everything in seven in a rapid motion. He was tapping his fingers, scratching behind his ear, turning the water on and off; Naruto the kid is an absolute wreck and the last thing he needs is for his father to find out that his son is failing one of the simplest subjects that exist in our time. He normally does a number of things in seven all the time but he's gotten better at controlling himself. Please Naruto…yeah he's a bastard but he needs help. You're basically his last hope"

Naruto let out a sigh, "Fine…I'll keep being his tutor"

愛

Sasuke stood in the bathroom and stared into the mirror. He took out the colored contacts that he had in his eyes and tears began running down his face. He turned on the water and splashed water on his face. He repeated this action six more times before grabbing a paper towel. He wiped his face ridding of the water and tears and began turning the water off and on. He was in real deep trouble. He knew if he had no tutor he would fail the class and if he failed the class his father would be notified which meant he would pay the dire consequences that were set up for him.

Sasuke stopped turning the handle on the faucet and went over to the stall behind him which he began opening and closing. The constant counting, the constant worrying, the constant panicking; the young Uchiha couldn't take anymore. He didn't want to take anymore but deep in his mind he knew he couldn't stop. He was too afraid of his father. He was always afraid of his father. He felt that at any moment his father would inflict pain on him for something. Sasuke stopped and went to the next stall doing the same thing. Opening and closing the door continuously while keeping count in his mind.

Sasuke knew his father wasn't proud of him. He was very aware that his older brother was deemed the favorite. That was why Sasuke was often forced to wear color contacts whenever he went out. His father didn't consider him part of the family because he felt that Sasuke didn't uphold the family name correctly. Sasuke moved to the next stall and began his ritual once more.

Sasuke was the complete opposite of Itachi. For one Itachi was capable enough to stay in the academy his father placed him in. The older Uchiha always managed to be number one in his class no matter which grade he was in. Sasuke could only manage to be number two. Itachi's IQ has always been 187. Sasuke was lucky enough to push his IQ to an astounding 167; twenty points lower than his brother's. Because he couldn't be like his brother his father lost faith in him. His mother took Sasuke out of the academy and placed him into public school where he originally was in the beginning. Sasuke managed to stay in the academy for only a year; it was when he was in second grade.

Sasuke went to the next stall and repeated the ritual. After Sasuke was taken out he never received any attention from his father. Fugaku often ignored the younger Uchiha at every opportunity. The only time Fugaku paid attention to him was when the younger one messed up which came out to be almost everything the younger one did. Sasuke never became aware of his disorder until he was thirteen when Mikoto decided to take him to a therapist.

Before that age all he knew was that he did almost everything in sevens. He would close his door seven times, he would walk up and down the stairs seven times, he would wash his hands seven times; he would arrange his possessions in seven different ways, he would clean something seven times. He could never stop himself from doing it.

He went down to the next stall but ceased movement when he heard the entrance to the bathroom. Sasuke took out a pencil and went over to the counter with the sinks. He began tapping his pencil slowly on the counter. Looking at the contacts he placed them in his pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. He placed the shades on and let out a calming sigh. No one in the school knew about his disorder except Neji and one thing Neji promised was that he wouldn't tell anyone he had it. If anyone knew questions would arise and Sasuke wasn't going to open up to anyone like he did with Neji.

Sasuke looked up to see Naruto, "What the hell do you want dobe?"

Naruto sat his bag down on the floor, "Hey Sasuke…look, I'm sorry about today. Maybe I was a little too harsh. I just came to say that if you still need a tutor…I'm still here"

"What?"

"Well I figure you know, you need a tutor and I need a break," Naruto gave a small smile, "So if the truce is still on I'll still be your tutor"

Sasuke walked over to the blonde and held his hand out, "Fine"

Naruto took the Uchiha's hand and shook it, "Truce?"

"Truce…," Sasuke let go of the latter's hand and grabbed his bag, "Thank you…"

"You're…" Naruto watched as the Uchiha walked past him and out the door, "welcome…?"

愛

Deidara pulled up into the driveway of the Uchiha mansion, "Why are we here again?"

Itachi got out of the car, "I have a few things to do"

Deidara turned the car off and got out of the car, "Can I come in, un?"

Itachi thought for a moment, "Fine but you stay downstairs"

The blonde flashed a smile, "Understood, un"

The nineteen year old followed the older one as he entered the family mansion. Deidara wiped his shoes on the mat and removed them from his feet as the Uchiha did. Stuffing his car keys in his pocket he made his way over to one of the black couches in the living room and sat down. He watched as the Uchiha immediately went upstairs leaving him alone in the room. In an instant Mikoto entered the living room and gave a soft smile.

"You're that dear boy I met that one day," she sat next to the blonde, "Deidara is it?"

Deidara nodded, "Yes Mrs. Uchiha. I must say you have a beautiful home, un"

"Why thank you and please, call me Mikoto. It's really nice to finally meet you. Would you like something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine but thank you"

"Itachi was always anxious about bringing people into our home," Mikoto's smile disappeared and she let out a sigh, "It almost seemed as if he didn't have any friends"

Deidara raised an eyebrow, "Why was he so afraid about bringing them over?"

"…Fugaku isn't very fond of Itachi and Sasuke being attached to people. Itachi always thought if he brought a friend over that the one visit to the house would be the last time anyone would even talk to him. Naturally Itachi grew to not have many close attachments with anyone really. I think I've only known him to have two very close people. It, honestly, disappointed me"

"So he just…grew to dislike people, un?"

"Itachi distanced himself because of how his status was. After all, that's the only reason why anyone wanted to be friends with him and he learned that status doesn't form friendships. He was never really fond of teenagers either even when he was one himself. He was a hard worker always trying to stay on top while others slacked off and went on with their lives," Mikoto pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "I think it frustrated him that he had intelligence but couldn't have the happiness he wanted. He was always working to achieve his happiness while other teenagers were able to obtain it naturally"

Deidara felt a pain in his heart, "That's really sad to hear"

Mikoto shrugged, "Well…I can't say his distance didn't serve a bit of good. He was never used by anyone and he didn't have to deal with the dramatic stresses that teenagers encountered in high school. What exactly are you to my son?"

Deidara thought for a moment, "I guess you can say I'm a friend"

"How did you two meet?"

"Chance encounter and we really didn't get off on the right foot, un. We really hated each other and I guess we grew to not murder each other"

"You like my son don't you? And when I say 'like' I mean attracted"

Deidara blushed a little, "Of course not, un. I mean--"

Mikoto giggled, "It's okay; I won't tell my husband. He's not the best at deciphering people's orientations so you're fine. He's seems very interested in you which really excites me. I've never seen him take interest in someone so quick before. You seem to make him happy in some kind of way which is good. It's better than that girl my husband forced on him. Unlike her, I have the feeling you would never hurt my son"

The blonde felt a pit feeling in his stomach, "Of course not Mikoto," he turned his attention to the front door where Sasuke walked in.

Mikoto smiled, "Hello Sasuke dear, how was school?"

The younger Uchiha took his shoes off, "I don't want to talk about it," he made his way to the staircase and ascended the stairs while Itachi was coming down the stairs

Itachi went over to the front door and placed his shoes on, "Let's go"

Deidara nodded and rose, "It was really nice getting to formally meet you Mikoto"

Mikoto smiled, "Of course Deidara"

Deidara placed his shoes on and followed the older one out the door, "Your mother is very nice"

Itachi opened the passenger door, "Don't talk"

愛

The three hours Naruto once possessed for himself flew by fairly quickly. Before he knew it he was at the Uchiha's doorstep. The blonde glanced up at the sky which was transcending from day to night. The half moon was beginning to take form. Releasing a final sigh Naruto rang the doorbell and waited patiently. He tapped lightly on his European History book as the seconds flew by. The door opened and Naruto plastered on a wide smile.

"Good evening Mrs. Uchiha"

Mikoto smiled, "Oh…," she glanced behind her to see her husband heading near the kitchen, "You must be the tutor"

Naruto nodded, "Yes ma'am"

"Well I would love to be formally acquainted with you but we should do that another time. Just run upstairs very quickly and try not to make a sound"

The blonde became confused but did as Mikoto told him. Naruto took off his shoes and quietly and quickly ran to the staircase and up the stairs. Once at the top of the stairs Naruto let out a sigh. He was once again going to attempt tutoring Sasuke. Last time it resulted in bruises and in school detentions. Naruto went over to the younger Uchiha's door and opened it.

Confusion hit pretty fast. The blonde looked around. The room was absolutely spotless. No dirty clothes were to be found in the room. The mess all over the computer desk was straightened up. He was beginning to wonder if he walked into Itachi's room but there was no mistake that it was Sasuke's. Naruto closed the door and sat his book on the bed. The sound of a flushing toilet made him realize that the Uchiha was in the bathroom. The blonde sat down on the bed looking aimlessly around the room.

"Is there a reason why you're gawking?"

Naruto looked over at the Uchiha, "I wasn't gawking"

Sasuke sighed, "Whatever, just keep it down. If my father comes in here we're hiding our books and turning on my TV. You're posing as a friend who decided to come over. Understand?"

"Understood; are you ready to get started?"

愛

Itachi stood next to Deidara as the blonde was knocking on the door of a fraternity house. The Uchiha honestly didn't feel like doing anything but he figured learning something else would hold his attention longer than just sitting alone somewhere. He really wanted to forget what happened this afternoon. The divorce proceeding was doing more harm than good to him and his father just keeps making the situation even more difficult to bear with.

The door opened revealing Konan, "Hey Dei, Itachi; I'm surprised to see you here"

Itachi shrugged, "I got bored"

Deidara smiled, "So how's the party going?"

Konan sighed, "Nothing's broken yet so I'm good. C'mon in"

Itachi followed the nineteen year old into the fraternity house. The smell of alcohol and cigarettes filled their senses; two smells the two college students were naturally used to. Itachi glanced all around the room to see students dancing, conversing, and drinking. It was a typical college party and Itachi could never stand them but he figured he could put up with one just for tonight. Even with all the commotion going on with the music and the constant noise from all the students talking at once the twenty-one year old could still feel the dreamy stares of young college girls. Itachi stopped when Shimeta popped up in front of him.

Itachi groaned, "Can't you leave me alone for once in your life?"

Shimeta crossed her arms, "Can I ask why my _husband_ is at a frat party? I remember him saying something about college parties being juvenile"

"I wish you would stop stalking me"

Deidara appeared next to the Uchiha, "Shimeta, my classmate, un"

Shimeta rolled her eyes, "What do you want Deidara? I'm busy having a talk with my husband"

"I just want to see why my guest is getting more upset"

"Your guest; you drove him here?"

"Of course, un"

Itachi looked at the blonde, "I'm going to the bathroom"

Once the Uchiha walked away Deidara looked at the Haruno, "Why do I have the feeling that you want to pound my face in, un?"

Shimeta spoke, "Are you trying to move in on my husband?"

"Now why would you get such an idea?"

"I thought you two had a chance meeting in a club"

"We did and we surprisingly kept in touch, un," a smirk developed on Deidara's lips, "Are you _jealous_ Shimeta?"

Shimeta flipped her hair, "Honestly I shouldn't be…but it's not the first time you've turned a perfectly straight man. Stay away from him"

"Why should I?"

"He's mine"

"In an instant he could be mine"

"Please, why would he want to be interested in an incompetent, irresponsible drunk?"

Deidara felt a tug at his heart, "I'm not irresponsible, un…"

"Is that so? How often do you see and actually take care of your brother?"

Deidara could feel the argument brewing and decided that it was neither the place nor time to even take part in it. The blonde walked away from Shimeta heading towards the bathroom.

愛

Itachi rubbed his temples as he looked into the mirror. He let out a sigh and leaned against the sink counter. The last thing he needed was Shimeta to be here to make the night worse. He remained still when he heard the door open but ended up being turned around by Deidara.

"What the hell is wrong with you, un?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"You haven't talked to me ever since we left your family's mansion. Do you know how long ago that was, un?"

Itachi turned to face the mirror, "I don't have to explain anything to you"

Deidara groaned in frustration, "I can't stand this damnit! What exactly do you see me as? One moment you're all for me and the next moment you treat me like shit! Is there something I'm not catching onto here that you'd like to tell me?"

When the blonde didn't receive an answer from the older one he felt his heart breaking slowly in two. The feeling both enraged him and pained him. He was enraged that he was allowing his feelings to cloud his mind from doing his assignment yet he was pained that his feelings were being tossed back and forth like a Frisbee. It just wasn't fair in either sense. Deidara left the bathroom in silence and Itachi let out a sigh.

愛

After about an hour Itachi decided to free himself from the bathroom. When he walked out he noticed that all of the students were gathered around near a table in the far corner. The Uchiha took out his Samsung and flipped it open. It was getting near midnight. Closing the phone he made his way over to the crowd of college students. He spotted Konan and caught sight of her worried expression. Making his way through a few students he stood next to Konan and looked at the main attraction happening at the table.

As the students were chanting Deidara was nearly done downing a full bottle of Hennessey. The Uchiha glanced over and saw three empty bottles which caused him to raise an eyebrow. When Deidara was done with the bottle he slammed it down on the table inducing a massive cheer from the students. Konan and Itachi exchanged looks with each other.

Deidara laughed a little bit as he began leaning to the left, "Thank you, un…you've been…a wonderful audience"

Konan ran over the blonde's side and caught him, "Damnit Deidara"

"You're _so _pretty…are you an angel…?"

Itachi walked over to the blonde and helped hold him up, "Let's go, you've had enough to drink"

"Don't tell me what to do, un!"

Itachi and Konan ignored the blonde's cries and as the students began going back to their normal activities the two had dragged Deidara out of the fraternity house. Once outside the two had dropped the blonde on the ground.

Konan looked at Itachi, "I don't know how long he plans on being out; he drifts in and out of consciousness all the time"

Itachi leaned against the Corvette, "I see…"

"…So, when did you find out?"

"Find out what?"

Konan rolled his eyes, "You know what I mean. When did you find out about his life?"

"I caught him at the wrong time"

"He wanted me to tell you that binge drinking, as I'm pretty sure you already know, is an activity where people have the prior intention of getting drunk. Although deadly he says the trick is to know where your limit is. That way you're drunk as hell but you still have your life intact. He told me to tell you because he said he was all pissed at you for something"

Itachi groaned, "What the hell do you see in him?"

Konan looked off to the side, "I really should be asking you that question…"

"I see nothing"

Konan turned his attention back to the Uchiha, "Now we both know that isn't true"

"You don't know anything"

Konan walked up to Itachi, "Is that really the case?" she pushed him against the car, "You're such a jackass you know that? Don't think I don't know anything about you two. Now what do you see Deidara as?"

"Absolutely nothing"

"Is that so?"

"I don't go back on my word"

"I think you're just afraid"

"You don't know me"

"You're right I don't but I do know that you're afraid"

"Why would I be afraid?"

"You know exactly what you're afraid of"

"I could care less what that blonde does"

"…Is that how you feel…?"

Konan turned around and saw Deidara standing up, "Dei he didn't mean it…"

The blonde shook his head, "No…it's fine, un," light tears ran down his face, "So you could care less about me?"

"…," Itachi could feel a twinge of guilt seeping into his heart

"Well fine then!" Deidara walked over and punched the Uchiha, "I knew this was a complete waste of my time, un!" he pushed Itachi to the ground and started crying, "You're just a fucking bastard just like all the other ones!"

The blonde got into the Corvette and started the vehicle up. In an instant he backed out and drove down the street leaving Itachi and Konan in front of the fraternity house. Konan grabbed the Uchiha and slammed him against the brick wall.

"I can't believe you would do that! You have no idea how much this really hurts him"

Itachi pushed Konan away, "He can have anyone he wants. He has no reason to want me"

Konan sighed, "You're being such a bastard. Why can't you just admit that you want him as much as he wants you…? I've never seen someone so fucking afraid to follow their heart…it's really sad. I know that Deidara's not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to simple common sense but he's very bright and doesn't let his intelligence or his life faze him. He's a hurt person with very strong feelings for you and you really shouldn't be flip flopping with him. You know how you feel and you're going to end up finding out the hard way how much you care. All it takes is one day of separation…you'll see…"

Itachi watched Konan walk back into the fraternity house leaving him alone outside. Honestly, Itachi knew what he truly felt for the blonde and it was anything but hate.


	19. Revelations

Wow...it has definitely been a hell of a long time since I posted anything. This chapter should've been posted ages ago but plenty of things got in the way that kinda threw me off track (family issues and computer problems being two of the reasons). But nevertheless the wait is officially over for this chapter that people were requesting I put up. I finally finished it, however I can't say it is one of the best chapters I've written in my story. When I first originally typed it there was a completely different beginning, but I never knew how to follow it up and, not only that, the story was deleted. So I had to start the chapter over and it took a few tries before I finally began going along with something. In a way the chapter developed as it went along so that it fits the story.

Anyways in this chapter it's one of the few moments everyone was probably waiting for which is that Itachi and Deidara _finally_ become a real couple, but within this story it's quite obvious that wouldn't happen without each of them coming to terms with the truth of their feelings. So without further or do I give you Chapter 19.

* * *

_Chapter Nineteen: Revelations_

Kisame walked into the living room of Itachi's apartment to see said Uchiha lying on the couch staring up at the pure white ceiling. Kisame grabbed on of the lone chairs sitting along the lone wall and pulled it up next to the couch before sitting.

"Explain to me again what I'm supposed to be doing."

Itachi glanced over at him, "Helping me."

"By doing what exactly?"

"Evaluating me."

"For what? You're perfectly sane."

Itachi shot up immediately, "No I'm not Kisame!" he removed himself from the couch and began pacing.

Kisame placed his feet up on the couch, "So…you're insane?"

"I must be."

"…Itachi, do you know what time it is?"

"It's getting near midnight. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Why are you asking me to evaluate you at this time of night? Did something happen at the fraternity party that I'm unaware of?"

Itachi stopped and looked at his companion, "I made Deidara upset."

"…How?"

"I insulted him."

Kisame raised an eyebrow, "And this bothers you why?"

"Exactly!" Itachi began pacing again, "I don't know what it is Kisame. He's always clouding my damn mind! He's only been gone for less than two hours out of my sight and I'm already losing it! I can't let Konan b-"

"What does Konan have to do with this? I thought you and her don't talk at all. As a matter of fact you two don't even cross paths with each other."

"She's Deidara's friend."

"So what exactly am I trying to disprove here?"

"That I care about him!"

"…So I'm trying to help you disprove that you care about this person that you rarely know?"

Itachi sat back down on the couch, "Yes."

Kisame sat back in his chair as he looked at his friend. The expression lingering on the Uchiha's face was one of despair and need of wanting to rid of the thoughts he was having. However, the older one saw something different within the Uchiha's eyes. Something deeper than what he was showing. Something that he was fighting that he didn't want to face. Something that he knew was the truth, but was trying to ignore it as if it were a lie basking in his psyche.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "Why are you staring at me?"

Kisame shrugged, "I'm evaluating you like you said. I thought you were done with blonde wonder a long time ago. When did you even start talking to him again?"

"I never stopped."

"Why not?"

"I don't know."

"…How long have we known each other Itachi?"

Itachi left the question hanging in the air. It was a question that didn't need to be answered in words. Itachi and Kisame have known each other since the day they met in fourth grade. Their friendship was primarily built on trust in the very beginning rather than similar interests. While some of their interests were polar opposites their trust remained the key link between them. They never lied to each other. They never betrayed each other. They never sold each other out. Keeping secrets was also something they never did. After all, why keep a secret from a person you deeply trust?

Kisame looked at Itachi, "You know what the truth is..."

"…," Itachi stared at his friend in silence.

"This guy isn't just some dumb blonde to you is he? He's more than that…I can see it in your eyes; it lingers in your heart. Your heart is screaming at you saying what it is that you feel for this blonde but you're trying to use your intelligence to fight your emotions. Sometimes the mind is meant to block out your emotions. Right now, this isn't one of those moments."

"It's insanity."

"It's called emotion Itachi. It's something that I try to get you to feel nowadays but you seemingly can't because every time you're on the verge of doing so you get pulled back. Your father isn't here…what exactly intrigues you about this blonde?"

Itachi held in a sigh as he looked at the floor, "I don't know."

"Itachi."

The Uchiha raised his head, "I don't know! I don't know…he's so stupid, so blind, so ignorant; he lacks common sense, he lacks a sense of awareness, he's erratic, he's incompetent, he's destroying his life, his body, and his soul!"

"That's what other people would think of him…that's not what you think he is."

Itachi sat back into the couch, "This is ridiculous Kisame."

Kisame placed his feet on the floor, "I'm not going to let you lie to me Itachi. We've never lied to each other or kept secrets from each other. Why should either of us start now?"

"I already started."

"When?"

"The night I told you to get his car for me when I picked him up from the intersection."

"So you broke our vow for a blonde that you don't even know two shits about?"

Although he didn't show it on his face the comment hit Itachi pretty hard. He never had a reason to lie to Kisame. Kisame was there when no one else could.

Itachi looked at Kisame, "It's not exactly what you're thinking."

"Then what is it?"

"Deidara sells drugs."

Kisame shot up, "For who?!"

"I don't know."

"And you didn't report him?!"

"No."

"Why not Itachi?!"

"I couldn't."

"The guy is a drug dealer and probably a drug user, too!"

"He is."

"Why wouldn't you report him?"

"He had his reason for doing it."

"So he can feed his damn drug habit!"

Itachi stood up, "No…for his brother. The kid that's tutoring Sasuke is Deidara's brother."

"You mean the Naruto kid?"

"He's everything I want Kisame. He may be a drug dealer, a drug user, and a walking contradiction to the world…but he's everything I want. He's a guy that I would've destroyed in a heartbeat yet he understands me more than I understand myself. He knows my every move, my every thought, and my every feeling. He knows what rattles my nerves. He knows how to bring about my feelings. He knows my deepest desires. He knows my most important needs. He knows everything about me when I can't even figure him out completely."

Kisame sat back down in the chair, "It's not just because he's different."

Itachi shook his head slowly, "No."

"It's not just because he possesses what you want."

"No."

"It's not even just because he knows you."

"It's more than that…it's all of that but it's part of a larger picture; a picture that I can't seem to create because I'm not sure if all the pieces fit."

"You like him."

"Excuse me?"

"You like him. Your attraction to him isn't just lust…it's something deeper. Before when you kept telling me about him I thought he was just another person you were just going to embarrass and ridicule in the only way you know how and be done with it but no. You kept talking to him and you became intrigued with him because he was different. He wasn't what you expected because for once in your life you went along with a stereotype. You went with the stereotype that blondes were stupid and when he showed signs of undeniable intelligence you saw him as a challenge and continued on but when the tables were turning on you everything changed. He liked you first…and everything he had brought you in. It was only when you began looking deeper within him did you start to truly have feelings for him. You like him…and your feelings for him are still growing because you can't stop thinking about him. You like him so much that he's now a part of your mind and I bet that if he still likes you he'll be lying in his bed still upset over whatever you said to him trying to figure out what he should do next and contemplate his feelings for you."

Itachi sat down, "You sound so positive on that."

"I may not know Deidara personally but by how you talk to me about him he's basically the 'girl' when it comes to any relationships he has. He's the one with more emotion towards situations and is more open to share his feelings about something as oppose to some other males. His actions are equivalent to most girls. Most girls focus on emotional connections therefore when something is said or done to upset them they tend to let their emotions out quickly as opposed to a regular male who would bottle it up inside because of ego issues."

Itachi stood up and walked to the kitchen, "You need to switch your major to Psychology."

"Does that mean you're agreeing with me?"

"No."

愛

Deidara glanced over at the digital alarm clock sitting on top of the end table. It read 1:30 PM. The blonde groaned as he rubbed his eyes and turned his head away from the clock. He had been lying in bed since he got back from the fraternity party last night and had not moved an inch unless it was to use the bathroom. He would've gone home, but crashed at Konan's place instead since it was closer.

Deidara heard the door to the bedroom creak open and he buried his head into the pillow, "Go away, un…"

Konan walked over near the bed, "Deidara…you have to get up."

"I don't want to…"

"…He didn't mean it."

"Yes he did…besides his marriage with Shimeta is back on. Apparently even though the two were seen as exes their divorce was never finalized…"

Konan grabbed the chair sitting near the end table and brought it to the side of the bed, "He doesn't love her," she sat down, "She's a bitch anyway."

"What difference would it make, un…?"

"Well just forget about him."

Deidara felt sick to his stomach hearing those words. He couldn't accept hearing them nor could he digest them. The sentence was filled with absolute poison. Not only that, he really didn't have the choice to forget about him. After all, the reason why he began hanging around the Uchiha in the first place was due to Sasori.

Deidara let out a deep sigh, "…I can't Konan…"

"Why not? You've forgotten about guys who were jerks to you before."

"Itachi is different…"

"In what way? Itachi doesn't care about anyone that he deems beneath him. He thinks that the world revolves around him and his intelligence and wealth."

"He's not like that…," Deidara turned his head and looked at her, "I really like him Konan…"

"You've liked other guys, too Deidara."

Deidara shook his head slowly, "Not like him…I told myself I didn't want to like him…but I ended up doing it anyway. I like him a lot."

"What is so special about him?"

"He sees me Konan…"

The words hit the female instantly. As she thought back to all the times Deidara would talk to her concerning Itachi she only had one main thought: Deidara's like for Itachi was solely based upon pure lust. It would be a reasonable deduction. Itachi was a very attractive person. Any girl would be glad to have a date with him if they didn't know who he was ahead of time. However, Konan never considered that her dear friend would truly feel any real connection with the Uchiha farther than lust. Yet in that one sentence she saw how wrong she was.

When Konan first became friends with Deidara he was very open about his problems when it came with his relationships with people and Konan did her part as an advice supplier and a support for the blonde. From the past relationships Deidara described to her she saw the one thing that they all had in common: none of the guys he had dated truly saw beneath him. They didn't take the time to look past the glossy, blonde hair, the vibrant cerulean eyes, or the even toned tan skin. They couldn't get past his looks and they didn't truly make the attempt to and it was the one thing the blonde complained about.

Konan stroked his hair, "Did he really…?"

Deidara rubbed his eyes again, "When he first met me he thought I was an absolute mess, un. He saw me as some jerk…I saw the same with him. So I played games with him…taunted him just to see him get agitated because of how mean he was…but after a while I just didn't see it as a game anymore. I was utterly drawn to him…but it doesn't seem like that matters now…"

Konan looked into her friend's eyes to see deep red rings around them and he possessed an expression of despondence yet as his voice had lacked any emotion. The sight was killing her deeply.

"Maybe he'll come around Dei."

"He won't Konan…"

"Just give him some time."

愛

Gaara held the phone up to his ear as he sat in his brick house red Cadillac SRX. As the dial tones floated into his ear he glanced at the Corvette a few feet in front of him. A click sounded and Gaara sat up putting the key in the ignition.

"Well?"

"Deidara hasn't come outside yet. I think he's planning to sleep in."

"Deidara wouldn't take the chance with what he has to do."

"Don't you think that this is a little over the top Sasori? So he lost half a package of drugs."

Sasori removed the cigarette from his mouth and released a cloud of smoke, "Deidara lost me a great deal of money and unless he wants the alternate punishment he's going to do this. He has screwed up so many damn times since he's been working with me."

"Yet he's the best damn lackey you have. Face it, for every screw up he makes he performs three good pickups and three good sales to cover it up."

"This is his last," Sasori slammed his fist on the table in front of him, "I can't afford to have anyone fucking up pickups because they don't know how to control their damn drug intake!"

Gaara overlooked his brother's outburst, "Just to let you know Deidara hasn't done anything."

"What do you mean he hasn't done anything?"

"I mean exactly that. I checked through Uchiha's accounts. The only form of movement was from a private account which has now been restored. Apparently the withdrawal was made by his father."

"And there's nothing else?"

"Everything else is clear. There are no large transactions, no clear tampering with accounts, and no private accounts for Deidara. In other words Deidara is stalling," Gaara started his car as he saw said blonde get into the Corvette on the driver's side, "And the Uchiha is not even with him," he glanced over at Konan who was making her way to the passenger side, "Some girl is."

"Follow them."

愛

Itachi rubbed his hand through his slick hair with steady frustration as he continued to listen to his father on the phone going over the rates of the company with him. When he and Kisame left the apartment two tasks were listed on the agenda: Kisame needed to take up an issue with the bank and he needed to get his car out of the shop. Itachi figured that since the bank situation was going to take longer that it was best to knock that out of the way. While Kisame went in Itachi sat in the passenger seat trying to contain the little piece of sanity he had left that seemed to be striving to escape his grasp.

Itachi let out a sigh, "The rates are what they are father. I went back over them three times and then a fourth time with Ryo."

Fugaku let out a groan, "Itachi there's no way these figures are correct."

"That's impossible. I'm a genius remember?"

"Don't get smart with me."

The Uchiha rolled his eyes, "According to those figures it means one thing: your corporation is excellent, but you are conspicuously in debt. So just pay the damn debt before you make a fatal marketing mistake that will cause the rates to decrease rapidly."

"Don't tell me how to run my business."

"I'm the one calculating your rates so it's in your best interest that you listen."

Fugaku tossed the papers back on the desk, "Just check the rates once you get home and send me a copy once you finish."

With that final demand made the conversation was ended by Fugaku. Itachi tossed the phone on the dashboard and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Company rates and conspicuous debt were definitely two issues that he wasn't remotely thinking of.

"Hard day at the office, un?"

Itachi look out the window to see the blonde leaning against his Corvette, "Such a coincidence that you appear right next to the car I'm sitting in."

Deidara shrugged, "This is Konan's bank. I just happen to park next to this car…"

Itachi got out of Kisame's Mustang and leaned against the door, "So I'm assuming you're still upset about last night."

Deidara walked closer to the Uchiha, "Why do you keep changing your mind with me?"

"…," silence took over the older one.

"One day you're pissed at me and want nothing to do with me," the blonde took a few more steps until he was standing face to face with Uchiha, "but then you turn around you're open arms willing to take me on. Am I just a game to you…? I even made a deal with you and you still hesitate."

Itachi attempted to avoid the blonde's gaze, "I can't answer your question."

"You possess the ability to and you know the answer…You just refuse to tell me."

"What do you want from me Deidara?"

Deidara shook his head, "Forget it, un," he began walking away.

Itachi grabbed the blonde's wrist, "You don't understand."

"No. _You_ don't understand. I want you. I really like you and yet you keep playing these fucking games I don't have time for," he snatched his wrist away, "It's not fair. It's not fair that you can stay with a person you can't even produce a decent compliment for, but you can't even provide a living chance with a person who you actually do care about but refuse to openly admit to."

The older one was stuck in silence once again and, for once, his conscious began to eat away at him. Itachi could see the hurt lingering within the blonde's deep cerulean eyes swaying evenly throughout the two orbs. He could see every insult, every injustice, every cruel gesture; all of it existed within his eyes. Itachi immediately noticed that it was the exact opposite of what the blonde was before.

Of course he noticed the slight changes in the way the nineteen year old would talk to him, but it was the first time Itachi truly realized that the whole situation between them might not be much of a game anymore. The blonde used to be more assertive, immune to natural insults, and always managed to have the upper hand even when it seemed he was near the bottom. The Deidara he saw now was one he was unfamiliar with. He spoke no riddles, he provided no slick comments, and has adopted a lackadaisical attitude towards taunting him. And even though such habits of the younger one annoyed him, the absence of the traits was starting to pick at the Uchiha's nerves. In a way, Itachi knew that somehow he had broken Deidara down into a lower state. A state that he didn't want to see and, obviously, a state Deidara didn't want to be in.

Deidara glared at the Uchiha, "Stop staring at me and say something damnit!"

Itachi took a moment to collect his thoughts before answering, "I don't know what you want me to say."

"Say how you feel, un! I don't care what the media has announced to the world about you and your family! Would it kill you to just open up truthfully! I can't just stand here being okay with your mixed messages…unless I was right and you honestly can't give me what I want," Deidara glanced over towards the door and spotted Konan and Kisame walking out before turning his attention back to the Uchiha, "I'll teach you whatever you damn want…but I'm done playing games with you, un. If you don't want anything with me then you tell me when you see me…"

Deidara walked back over to his Corvette and entered in on the driver's side as Konan entered in on the passenger side. Itachi watched as Deidara pulled out of the spot and ultimately out of the parking lot. The Uchiha opened the door and entered the passenger side. Kisame looked at him after entering the driver's side and taking out his keys.

"So?"

Itachi didn't face his friend, "So what?"

Kisame started the car and placed on his seatbelt, "Are you going to explain to me what all of that was about?"

Itachi put his seatbelt on, "I rather not."

愛

Deidara officially hated himself. All throughout the time he was standing on Earth he had harsh feelings towards how he lived his life and what he had become; now he couldn't bear being himself. The true abhorrence he had was one that could not be explained to the fullest extent.

When he had returned with Konan to her dorm he immediately went back home and locked himself into his bedroom. And he cried. It was the longest and hardest he has ever cried within his nineteen years of living. His tears represented anger. His tears represented despair. His tears represented confusion.

Now he was still lying in that same bed calmer than before. The blonde felt drained of energy. The only energy he seemed to possess was enough to make a trip to the bathroom if he needed to and that was a small bit of energy. Puffy eyes glanced over at the bright, red numbers sitting on the alarm clock. He had cried three hours straight, something that he felt was impossible.

The assignment he was given was in jeopardy and Deidara knew it all to well. He never forgot the task at hand with the Uchiha. He didn't forget how and why he ended up being near him in the first place. However, he broke his rule. He broke his priorities. He claimed to himself that he would not fall for the Uchiha and if in some way he did, he would suppress such feelings in order to carry out his assignment which Deidara also realized he had failed to start.

These facts left Deidara in a dilemma. A dilemma he had tried so hard to avoid when he first began the assignment; a dilemma that would be difficult to eliminate. He fell too deep. He became attached. And now, Deidara refused to let go. The blonde rubbed his eyes and let a scream of frustration. He couldn't let go of his feelings. He could no longer suppress them. He wanted to be with the Uchiha. He was unsure if love was even in the picture. All he did know was that he wanted to be with him. He wanted to have him. And the thought killed him because of Naruto.

Deidara vowed to keep Naruto as his top priority. His brother was his life. His brother was the last person he had. Yet once his feelings developed Deidara's tower of priorities toppled over leaving him with two options for his top: his brother or his heart. He couldn't have both. He wasn't allowed to with Sasori watching. He couldn't have his brother and the desires of his heart. Therefore, both Naruto and Itachi couldn't be important to him. He was only allowed to choose one. In the beginning Naruto always won. Now, he couldn't choose so quickly.

On one hand he would lose Naruto. Naruto had done nothing wrong and for him to be murdered simply because Deidara didn't follow orders would leave the blonde in a state of utter despondence most likely for the rest of his life. Everything Deidara ever did was for Naruto. He risked their home, his sanity, and even his own life to assure that nothing ever happened to Naruto. Deidara cares and loves Naruto as if he was his own child.

On the other hand he would lose Itachi. Itachi, also, had done nothing wrong and for him to be murdered simply because Deidara _did_ follow orders would ultimately lead the blonde to not even forgive himself. Even though Itachi hadn't the slightest idea that Deidara possessed his well being in the palm of his hand the Uchiha was, in his own way, very kind and open to Deidara. Deidara cares, and might even love, for Itachi to the fullest.

To one the choice would be obvious, but for Deidara the choice didn't even seem fair. It seemed like either way he went someone was going to die. Someone was going to perish. Someone was going to pay the price. And it would be due to whether or not he followed orders or not. Not following orders meant losing a family member. Following orders meant losing an innocent person. Deidara, however, did not want to choose. He wanted both. That one need left him with a question: was he willing to risk both of their lives at the same time?

The blonde's thoughts were interrupted by the vibration in his pocket. Deidara took out his phone and answered the call already knowing who it was.

"What?"

Sasori fumed, "What the hell are you doing? Why haven't you done a damn thing yet?"

Deidara rubbed his right eye, "These things take time, un."

"Bullshit, you haven't done a damn thing!"

"You wouldn't know that because you're not around me."

The blonde was immediately met with the dial tone unleashing a light sigh of relief. He tossed the cell phone onto the floor and closed his eyes. In an instant his eyes opened to the sound of his bedroom door being broken down. Deidara shot up to meet with Sasori's signature death glare. Without much time to react the drug lord grabbed a handful of Deidara's hair and yanked him off the bed receiving a hiss of pain in response. Sasori continued by dragging the younger one out of his room.

Sasori growled, "I'm getting real tired of you pulling this bullshit Deidara!"

Deidara tried to dig his nails into the carpet, "Let go of me, un!"

"Oh I'll let go of you; don't you worry about that."

The twenty-two year old then proceeded to throw Deidara down the staircase. Each step Deidara hit forced him to hold in his pain. The nineteen year old hit the bottom was soon in the older one's possession yet again. Sasori threw Deidara on the closest couch next to them and climbed on top of him.

"You have screwed me over for the last time!" Sasori pulled out a knife and held it to the blonde's neck, "You have lost me money! You have lost me drugs! You have nearly had me arrested three times! You have gotten away with so much shit that it's no where near funny!"

Deidara, in response to the yelling, spat in the drug lord's face placing Sasori in a slight state of astonishment. Immediately fear entered into the blonde as he watched the older one wipe the saliva from his cheek. Sasori grabbed a fistful of Deidara's hair and placed the blade to the side of the younger one's left cheek.

Sasori spoke calmly with a small smile, "Okay…we're going to try this again," he pierced Deidara's skin and began to drag the knife down his cheek, "I gave you an assignment and I expect you to complete this assignment because if you don't I will kill your brother," he stopped and grazed the blonde's neck with the blade, "and then I'll kill you. Are we clear Deidara?"

Deidara nodded slowly, "Yes, un…"

"See?" Sasori placed the knife back in his pocket, "That wasn't so bad now was it?"

"…"

"I don't want to hurt you Deidara," Sasori stroked Deidara's hair, "Remember, I care about you. I saved you and your brother from the depths of poverty and brought you into the world of wealth and possession. I care for you. All I'm asking is for a little something in return: you stay in debt to me until death. That's not hard. It's absolutely simple," he pulled Deidara's face close to his, "All you have to do is cooperate and the only way for you to cooperate is through obedience. And if you're obedient, then situations like these can be easily avoided."

Deidara nodded once more, "Okay…"

"Excellent," Sasori kissed Deidara on his forehead and got off of him, "Now, I hope we will not have any further delays with this. Remember, time is money especially in this business I'm running and with every opportunity we lose, we lose money."

With those words lingering in the tainted air Sasori made his departure leaving Deidara alone on the couch. With the series of thoughts flowing through his mind one chose to stick out; the one thought that took up his primary concern.

愛

Itachi stood at the window staring out at the pouring rain leaving the dark firmament. After retrieving his beloved Porsche that afternoon the Uchiha drove around town trying to clear his mind of his thoughts, but once he returned to his apartment those thoughts only remained strong in his head.

Itachi could hear his phone vibrating across the end table near his bed. He knew all too well that it was his wife. Ever since Itachi dismissed the decision to divorce—much due to his father's actions—Shimeta has phoned the older one consistently throughout the day. Groaning Itachi went over to the end table and picked up the Samsung. He held down the end button causing the phone to turn off putting his mind at ease a little bit. Tossing the phone down Itachi walked over to his bedroom and opened it to see the blonde standing in front of him drenched in rain water.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, "How the hell did you get into my apartment?"

Deidara shrugged, "I picked your lock open."

"…What are you doing here?"

"I got tired of waiting, un. I wanted to know how you feel now."

Itachi stared Deidara in the eyes, "This really isn't a game anymore is it?"

The blonde shook his head making a few drops of water flow from his hair, "No…it's not un."

"There is no logic behind any of this. From the very beginning you made this a game. It was a game that, seemingly, I could only understand and it seemed that in order for everything to just set in place for us I just had to continue playing that game. If of anything I should be pissed at you for sending me on this damn rollercoaster of yours."

"I know, but I've realized that I really lo-…I really like you, un. And I know that it seems that I only switch on you to harass you…but that's not how it is anymore."

Itachi sighed, "Goodbye Deidara," he proceeded to close the door.

Deidara put his hand up and pushed the door open, "I'm not leaving."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not leaving until you admit that you want me, too."

"Then I guess I'm leaving."

The Uchiha pushed past the blonde and felt the ache rocking in his heart. He knew that his own resistance was killing him internally and he knew the reason for his resistance was his own stubbornness. He didn't want to accept the truth, but as the truth became clearer in his vision, the more the truth began to make sense to him. He walked down the staircase and retrieved the keys resting on the kitchen counter. The Uchiha placed on his shoes and exited his apartment making his way to the elevator.

愛

Deidara bit his lower lip as he stood outside in the pouring rain of Tokyo. In a way he felt that he shouldn't even be here proclaiming his feelings. In a way he felt that he should've just waited until Itachi came to him and he would proceed to carry out his assignment. In a way he felt like this whole situation should've never happened and that he could rewind time and go back to where he made the pick up. He knew that because of his screw up that this happened and this would've never happened. He knew it would've just ended with them meeting at that club coincidentally for one night.

The blonde watched the door open to see the Uchiha walking out, "What took you so long, un?"

Itachi glared at Deidara through the rain, "How did you get down here?"

"I jumped from your window…"

"Whatever," he walked past Deidara, "I'm still leaving."

Deidara grabbed his wrist, "Itachi please!"

Itachi turned around and snatched his wrist away, "No! I don't want to talk about this!"

"Why are you running away from me? You know how I feel and I know how you feel!"

Itachi could feel the rain hurting his eyes, "You don't know how I feel…"

Silence soon set in between them as the rain began to pour harder, pounding into the earth. Deidara stared straight into Itachi's obsidian eyes only to feel pain within his own. Deidara soon realized that it was worse than what he thought. He didn't think anymore. He _knew_ he wanted to be with the Uchiha. He knew he was balancing on that fine line between like and love. Yet he didn't know what killed him more: the fact that he knew he wanted Itachi or the fear that Itachi would reject him. Both were things he couldn't bear with, but with his feelings floating within him, he couldn't decipher which one appeared to be worse.

Deidara spoke, "Then tell me how you feel, un…"

"You wouldn't understand."

"You don't know what I understand. For all you know I could understand more than you think I do…"

"You can't understand."

"No, you don't want me to understand because you're afraid that once I do understand your resistance will be broken, un. Face it; we're just like each other. We thought that we would never cross paths again, but we did. We thought we would never get used to each other, but we did. We thought we would never fall for each other…but we did. Maybe one of us fell deeper than the other, we don't know that yet, but you can't deny—and I won't let you deny—that we fell for each other…Are you really going to turn your back on me just because you're afraid to accept the truth, un?"

Deidara mentally set himself up for whatever answer he was expecting to receive even though he was mostly setting up for rejection. He was used to rejection, but he knew that being rejected by the Uchiha would be the most agonizing rejection he would ever endure in his life hands down. The blonde knew he had never been so sure about his feelings for a person in his life until he crossed paths with the twenty-one year old. The Uchiha was decorated by the public and possessed wealth beyond his dreams, but underneath what the media painted him to be laid an innocent being who mirrored him in a different light; someone who understood him to the fullest. Itachi was the person Deidara wanted and he would be damned if he went down without even trying to retrieve him.

The blonde immediately felt warmth overcome his lips in a simple, genuine kiss in the frigid rain. That one kiss elated him and shot him up to cloud nine.

Itachi looked at him, "There are so many things about you that I truly can't stand and you know this. However, you're right…I have fallen for you. How much deeper that will go I won't know until later on."

The blonde rubbed the back of his head, "So…does that mean we're dating?"

Itachi shrugged and placed his keys in his pocket, "Depends, would you like to?"

"Hell yes."

"Then we're dating."

Deidara smiled, "Awesome!"

'_He definitely wasn't joking; he's definitely happy about this,'_ Itachi walked up to the door, "Let's go ahead and get out of the rain before we get sick."

* * *

Even the ending came off looking really cheesy. I really didn't have a solid, concrete way to end it. So go ahead and comment if you please even if it's just you yelling at me through the computer asking what the hell it took so long for me to post this chapter up.

Up next: Sasuke asks Naruto to hang out with him and Itachi and Deidara go on their first date together

Later: Deidara teaches Itachi about cocaine and Neji becomes suspicious of Sasuke's newfound attitude towards Naruto


	20. Important Author's Note

Okay people. Here's the situation I'm facing. This story, which is literally the best story I've posted on this site, is beginning to suffer at the hands of writer's block. I know as a writer I know the beginning, the middle, and the end, but executing those parts is the hard part and frankly my execution of this story lately is lacking BIG time.

And it really sucks because I know I'm better than that. I'm stuck on whether or not to rewrite certain chapters or to completely revamp the story as a whole. Honestly I don't really like the second choice, but it might end up being that way. However I have yet to make a decision on if I'm going to rewrite anything or just continue as is

So many things have stalled my creative process and it's clearly visible in the story and how I'm typing it. The last thing I want is for my work to suffer and for you, my fellow readers and peers, to have to read lackluster work.

If anyone has any advice on what I should do please feel free to say so; I can use all the advice I can get. Also I'm in dire need of a beta reader. If anyone knows any good ones just tell me because I'm still searching for one and so far the search isn't going so well.

~Shio-chan27~


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